The Not So Silent Partner
by GilmoreWomen
Summary: After 'If You’re Fond of Sand Dunes and Salty Air,' Lorelai and Emily’s relationship takes on a whole new dimension. By UnaVitaSegreta, WhreofBabylon and OldFashionedGrl. A Lorelai and Emily story that features both Emily & Richard and Lorelai & Luke.
1. Hot Chocolate and a Tiffany Lamp

**Chapter 1**

_**Who Knew Hot Chocolate and a Tiffany Lamp Could Suck So Much?**_

Saturday was usually one of the busier days at the Inn but Lorelai had worked herself to death the past week and decided on the spur of the moment to take the day off, leaving Michel in charge. He could handle things at the Inn just this once. Of course he griped and complained about it, especially since Sookie was on maternity leave, but at this point Lorelai didn't care. She just needed one day to herself.

The DVD was in the player, the popcorn was popped and the drapes were drawn. Leaning back on the sofa, Lorelai popped a Junior Mint into her mouth and was about to hit play when there was a knock on the door. Sighing, she threw down the remote and got up to answer it. To her surprise, there stood her mother, impeccably dressed in a navy blue suit and holding a Tiffany lamp.

"Honestly, one of these days you're going to just open that door and there'll be an ax murderer on the other side," Emily chastised her daughter as she quickly opened the door.

Lorelai failed to keep the startled look off of her face. "You promise?" she asked sarcastically before taking a calming breath and continued an effort to sound polite. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"It's nice to see you too, Lorelai," Emily replied, gazing pointedly at her daughter and waiting to be invited inside.

"Sorry, sorry. Come in. So, what do you have there?" asked Lorelai as she stepped to the side, gazing at the multicolored stained glass of the lamp in her mother's hands. As her mother walked past her, she braced herself for the inevitable comment about what she was wearing. Much to her surprise, her mother seemed to have let the moment pass.

Emily walked into the foyer, still eyeing Lorelai up and down, appraising her daughter's attire with a mental shudder. Pink and green striped socks, grey warm up pants, and a 'Barack Obama for President' T-shirt that had either shrunk in the wash or was a good two sizes too small. Clearly she had been right in thinking that nothing good could come of Rory taking that job. She shook herself of the thought, deciding it wasn't worth the inevitable confrontation. Instead, she launched into the reason she had stopped by. "Well, I was attending a wonderful auction in New London when I came across this beautiful Tiffany lamp that I thought would be just perfect for your table. Of course you'll have to do something with those leering monkeys," her voice dripped with disdain.

Lorelai quickly closed the door and stepped between her mother and her beloved lamp. "Shhh…they'll hear you!" Lorelai hushed, her finger raised to her mouth.

"Lorelai!" Emily chided, doing her best to reign in her mounting frustration.

"Look, Mom. It's very nice but I don't need a Tiffany lamp," Lorelai stated flatly.

"Lorelai, just take the damn lamp," Emily demanded holding out the item in dispute. She took a modulated breath and continued, her tone still somewhat forced. "It will look gorgeous on your table and at least this way I know you can't return it like you did the Baccarat candlesticks." The final phrase held a decidedly sarcastic turn.

"Fine. Thanks for the _damn_ lamp, Mom," Lorelai retorted, mimicking her mother's earlier inflection. She rolled her eyes as she took the lamp.

"Oh, that's much better," Emily replied, matching her daughter's eye roll.

The comment Lorelai was about to make froze on her lips when loud, quick footsteps were heard on her front porch followed by a frantic knocking. With a shrug to her mother, Lorelai opened the door revealing a wild-eyed Sookie, pumpkin colored diaper bag over one shoulder, and a screaming baby in her arms.

She walked straight into the house, her voice loud and quivering, "Oh, God, I just had to get out of there!" She tried to shift the wailing baby to her free shoulder and the diaper bag slid down her other arm. Unable to juggle both, she quickly looked at Lorelai who was holding a very large, very expensive looking stained glass lamp. Frantic, she quickly spotted Emily standing further into the house and relief briefly washed across her face, "Oh, Emily, thank God!" She thrust the baby into Emily hands and turned back to Lorelai, "I can't do this anymore." She made a beeline for the couch and dropped onto it with a loud moan. "I don't know what to do. It's just impossible. It's an inhuman task, no one could do it. No one could take care of three small children and deal with Jackson. No one! What am I going to do?" She was working herself up to hyperventilating, her breathing quick and shallow. "I have three kids, Lorelai. Three? I was supposed to have two. Two kids. We agreed on two and now there are three. I can't handle three children."

Mother and daughter watched as the scene played out before them, eyes wide, mouths slightly open, neither knowing exactly what to do. Lorelai kicked into gear first. Rounding the sofa, she put the lamp down on the coffee table and pulled Sookie into a hug, gently rubbing her back. "It's okay, Sookie. I know it seems impossible right now, but it's all going to be okay."

When Lorelai moved, Emily snapped into motion too. She quickly settled the baby more comfortably in her arms, hugging her closely and jiggling softly to try to calm her. She looked down making soft soothing sounds as the baby settled. A small smile of triumph tugged at her mouth when the squirming bundle quieted and let out a gentle sigh, clearly slipping off to sleep. Emily breathed a matching sigh of relief then looked over to the couch where her daughter was trying to calm the distraught mother.

Sookie pulled away from Lorelai's hug and continued, "It's just all spiraling out of control and the more I try to catch up, the more it spirals away from me." She made twirling motions with both hands, "I can't keep up. There just aren't enough hours in the day."

"Sookie, you know it won't always be like this. You're exhausted and sleep deprived and everyone's still adjusting," Lorelai tried to reason. "You'll find a rhythm. You'll get back on track, everything will be fine."

"It's not just the laundry and the diapers and the toys all over the house. For the past three days Jackson's been out at the farm until all hours and when he comes home he's been hunkered down over the calculator. Finally last night he told me that there's some kind of blight or fungus or something. He told me the name, but I can't remember it. Davey and Martha were fighting over the 64-count box of crayons at the time and I was trying to keep Martha from eating tickle me pink and then they woke up the baby."

"Oh honey," Lorelai said sympathetically.

Sookie got up and started pacing in front of the coffee table, her pig tails flying every time she turned and headed the other way. "Jackson thinks we may need to take out a loan on the house and if we do that then we can't do the addition I wanted to do and I don't know how I'm going to survive and not kill one of my own kids. Martha wakes up every time Sarah cries and she's still in our room and Sarah cannot stay in our room indefinitely, and Martha and Sarah can share, but Davey will really need his own room soon."

Emily looked down at the baby who seemed oblivious to her mother's agitated state and loud voice. Clearly she was used to the pandemonium that must be a part of her daily life. Emily walked over to the armchair that was currently at one end of the couch and sat down. Watching the baby carefully to make sure she wasn't going to wake up.

Sookie didn't even pause. "Maybe if we hadn't just sunk all that money into buying new horses and expanding the barn, we'd be able to swing it but now I just don't know where we're going to get the money."

"Oh, Sookie, I'm sorry," Lorelai apologized. "I'd loan it to you if I had it. My money's tied up in the stable renovation right now too."

"No, I'm not asking you for the money. I wouldn't do that," Sookie stopped and looked at Lorelai explaining quickly.

"I know you weren't asking," Lorelai replied. "I'm just saying I'd give it to you if I had it."

"That's so nice of you," Sookie gushed on the verge of tears.

"It's not that nice, since I don't have it to begin with," Lorelai shrugged off the compliment.

"No, but it's nice that you would even want to. Oh God… that makes the rest of this so hard." Ringing her hands, Sookie was clearly fighting back the tears now.

"The rest?" Lorelai asked, leaning forward.

Sookie covered her face with her hands. "I… um… I don't know if I want to come back to the Inn fulltime."

Lorelai tried not to look as stunned as she felt.

"I just, I've got three kids now and when I'm working I feel like I miss so much of their lives. I didn't realize that until I was home these last few months, but I can't even think of not being there with them now and not picking Davey up from preschool and talking to his teacher. When he comes home he has his snack and he shows me the drawings that he made and he actually tells me about his day. I never got that when I was working. I didn't get to hear about how Stuart and Brian let him into the fort and that he shared the tricycle with Missy. He's not the best at sharing things, but that Missy … let me tell you… blonde hair, big blue eyes. She's got him wrapped around her little finger. I'd never know about that if I was working. The sitter would know, she would hear all his little accomplishments and all I ever got were the problems." By the time Sookie finished, she had tears running down her cheeks.

Lorelai rose and got the Kleenex box from the desk. She pulled several out on her way back to Sookie and handed them to her. "I didn't know you felt that way. Why didn't you tell me?"

Sookie blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes. "I was afraid you'd be mad, or worse that you'd think I was letting you down. The Dragonfly was always our dream and I still love every minute of it. I just …" as she trailed off and she looked down, away from Lorelai.

Lorelai leaned down in front of her friend, sure to make eye contact with her. "Sookie, I get it. Your kids are more important and they should be. Things were different when Rory was that age. I didn't work the kind of hours that you do and we lived at the Independence. Rory was there every day after school. She grew up there."

Emily shifted in the chair and looked down at baby Sarah still sleeping in her arms. Listening to Lorelai talk about the time after she left their house was always painful, imagining her and Rory living in that shack, her daughter working as a maid, seeing them only a couple of times a year. She could understand what Sookie meant about missing things. She and Richard had missed so much of their daughter's and granddaughter's lives. They'd never get those years back.

Sookie sniffled. "You're not mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad at you," Lorelai assured her.

"Oh thank God." She hugged Lorelai tightly.

"We'll figure something out," Lorelai tried to sound reassuring. "I don't know what, but we'll figure something out."

Sookie pulled back and asked dramatically, "Oh! You know what we need?"

"To win the lottery?" Lorelai joked flatly.

"No, hot chocolate. The lottery would be good though," Sookie replied. "Do you have any hot chocolate?"

"Um… I'm not sure," Lorelai answered.

"I'll go check." Sookie hurried off to the kitchen

Lorelai sank down onto the end of the couch staring straight ahead.

"Lorelai?"

Jumping at the sound of her name, Lorelai looked over at her mother. She'd been so absorbed with Sookie she had almost forgotten Emily was there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Emily apologized. "You do seem to have your hands full."

"So do you," Lorelai gestured to the baby. "You want me to take her?"

"No, no. She's fine. She's asleep," Emily said.

"Found it, I've got the milk warming on the stove," Sookie said heading back into the living room. "Luke definitely has a very good influence on your refrigerator. Emily, do you want hot chocolate, or would you like something else? Tea or coffee?"

Emily shook her head. "Don't go to any trouble."

"No, it's no trouble. It calms me down to be puttering in the kitchen, kind of like therapy," Sookie assured her.

"Okay, then in that case, tea would be very nice. Thank you," Emily answered.

"Okay, one tea and two hot chocolates coming right up." Sookie disappeared back into the kitchen.

Emily and Lorelai sat quietly. Each lost in their own thoughts. Sookie returned a few minutes later carrying a tray of mugs that she put down on the coffee table. Lorelai immediately reached for hers and pulled her feet up on the sofa, sitting with her back against the arm and the mug balanced on her raised knees. Sookie put Emily's tea down on the end table next to her, taking a moment to look at Sarah who was still asleep. "I could get her seat off the stroller if you want. She'd probably be okay if you want to put her down."

Emily brushed a hand across the baby's downy red hair. "No, it's okay. She's fine where she is." She looked back up at Sookie. "Why don't you sit down and enjoy your hot chocolate. I'm sure that there are reasonable solutions for your concerns. I'm assuming someone is overseeing the kitchen at the Dragonfly since you've been on maternity leave. Is that someone you would consider hiring full time?

Sookie sat down on the couch and picked up her hot chocolate.

"Well, I could ask François if he could stay on for a while," Lorelai suggested. "I don't know if he'd necessarily be right long term, but he's fine for now. Sookie, I know how you feel about your kitchen. How involved do you think you'll want to be?"

"Wow, I haven't really thought about exactly how I'd do this. I mean … François has all my menus until the end of next month, but after that…" Sookie answered. "He might be okay fulltime. I'll have to think about that. I um… well… I'd want approval on any menu changes, maybe consult on weddings and large parties, and I definitely want to stay involved on the staffing issues."

"Do you have any property or investments or anything you could use as collateral to get a loan?" Emily asked.

Sookie sighed, "No, only the house and that would only cover what we need to get Jackson's farm cleared out and back on track and maybe fix the truck which is broken again. It wouldn't be enough to do the addition to the house and we can't have all three kids in the same bedroom for long."

"No, of course not," Emily agreed.

"Sookie, I hate to say this, but you might need to think about selling your share of the Dragonfly, or at least part of it." Lorelai offered reluctantly

"I can't do that to you," Sookie answered quickly.

"Don't worry about me," Lorelai countered. "I mean, what choice do you have?"

"That does seem like a reasonable solution," Emily commented. "The two of you have built a very successful business. I can only guess what even a quarter interest might be worth at this point."

Sookie's eyes light up as she figured the numbers in her head. "Well, that would be enough to take care of everything we'd need, but sell part of the Dragonfly? Even the thought makes me sad."

"You wouldn't be selling your entire share, only half," Emily reasoned.

"True, and I'd still be involved as an owner and Lorelai would still own her half," Sookie was beginning to accept the possibility.

"Yes, Lorelai would still have the controlling interest with fifty percent," Emily stated.

Lorelai sipped her hot chocolate, still digesting the idea of someone else buying into their dream. "Hon, I don't think it sounds like there's much other choice." She was trying her best to be strong for Sookie while the thought scared her on the inside.

Sookie took a sip of her hot chocolate and slouched back into the couch with a heavy sigh, resting her mug on the arm of the sofa.

Lorelai sighed almost as loudly as Sookie and stared down into her mug.

Emily on the other hand was trying to hide the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, the beginning of a brilliant idea forming in her mind. Of course she'd have to talk it over with Richard first. This was not the moment to propose it; both Sookie and Lorelai needed some time to absorb everything.


	2. You Won't Believe What Happened Today

**Chapter 2**

_**You Won't Believe What Happened Today**_

Emily arrived home just as Richard was descending the stairs. "Emily! There you are! I was beginning to wonder where you were," he exclaimed as he reached the bottom stair and bent down to give her kiss.

"Hello, Dear," she said as she readily accepted the kiss. "I'm sorry that I'm so late. I should have called. I stopped by Lorelai's and the most interesting thing happened." Emily linked her arm with Richard's as they walked into the living room.

"Would you like a drink?" he offered, letting go of her arm and moving to the drink cart.

"No, no. I'm fine," she stated taking a seat on the couch. "Richard, please. Sit down. I need to tell you about this."

"Sorry, Dear," he replied sitting down in a chair next to her. "You have my full attention."

"Thank you," she continued with a smile. "As I was saying, I stopped by Lorelai's to drop off a lamp I bought for her."

"You bought her a lamp?" he asked, slightly confused and not quite sure where this conversation was going.

"That is beside the point," she chastised, rolling her eyes. "Focus, please. Anyway, Sookie came in with her new baby."

"Sookie has a new baby?" he questioned trying to keep up.

"Richard!" exclaimed Emily. "Even after forty-two years of marriage, you still don't listen to a word I say. I told you two weeks ago about the baby"

"I'm sorry, Emily," he apologized. "I'm trying to follow you here."

Huffing in frustration, Emily again resumed her explanation. "Just don't say anything else until I'm finished. As I was saying, Sookie came in with her new, baby babbling on over the fact that she has all these children and how she's missing the little moments in their lives. There was also some kind of ordeal with Jackson's crops having some sort of blight. I swear it was like a bad episode of Little House on the Prairie. Well, Lorelai and I began suggesting different ways to get them out of the mess they seem to have gotten themselves into when Lorelai suggested that Sookie sell part of her interest in the Inn. That's when it dawned on me… I could buy into the Dragonfly. It would solve Sookie's problem and well, give me something to do." Taking a deep breath, she waited for Richard's reaction, praying that he would be as excited as she was but knowing deep down that he probably wouldn't be.

"You want to buy into the Dragonfly," Richard stated flatly.

Emily got up and began walking briskly around the room, her arms animatedly waving in the air as she spoke. "Yes! It's perfect!" she exclaimed. "You know that I'm good at planning events and menus. It's the perfect solution." She paused to look at her husband.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, his voice all business. "It's a big responsibility."

"What?" Pouncing on the perceived slight, she questioned his meaning, her frustration clear. "Do you think that I can't handle it?" a hint of frustration beginning to show itself in her voice.

"That's not what I'm saying," he raised his hand and shook his head. "I'm just saying that, well, you and Lorelai working together…I'm just not sure how that would work out. And, now, don't take this the wrong way, Dear, but this is a big commitment. A huge commitment. I think maybe you need to think about this a little more and not rush into it. Just how in depth did you and Sookie discuss this?" he asked, eyeing her warily.

Emily hesitated for a split-second before answering. "Well…we didn't really discuss it. It was something that just popped into my head and I wanted to discuss it with you first and I knew if I brought it up then and there Lorelai's head would explode or something. It would probably have been like a scene from The Exorcist. You know how dramatic that girl can be at times"

Richard chuckled lightly. "That is exactly my point."

Emily sat back down on the couch. "Lorelai and I have certainly had our ups and downs, mostly downs, but this is something I'm really excited about. You have your business, Yale, and you travel all the time. This is something that I can do for me. I've never had that. Plus I think this may be just the thing to…" she glanced away from her husband for a moment unable to put voice to her true hopes for this idea. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to him, "please, just let me try," she pleaded.

At that point Richard knew he was fighting a losing battle. How could he say no to her? Looking into her beautiful brown eyes, he knew that saying 'no' was out of the question. Even though she hadn't said it, her motivation was clear. All she wanted was to be closer to Lorelai. Why hadn't he realized that before? He got up from his chair and moved to sit next to his wife on the couch. He looked into her eyes, took her hands in his, and pressed a soft kiss to the backs of her delicate fingers. "If this is what you really want, then I'm behind you one hundred percent," he assured her, smiling slightly, his deep love for her clear in his gaze. "We'll call Sookie first thing Monday morning and arrange a meeting with our lawyer."

"Oh Richard, do we have to wait until Monday?" Emily asked, disappointment plain in her voice. "Let's call him now, or at least first thing tomorrow."

Richard's smile broadened at her eagerness. "Emily, tomorrow is Sunday. Nobody is going to do business tomorrow. It will keep until Monday. Besides that'll give us a little more time to think this through."

"Fine," Emily acquiesced with a pout, leaning back against the sofa.

"That's my girl," Richard said as he patted her knee and kissed her forehead. "Now that that's all settled, just promise me one thing."

"What's that?" she asked.

Putting his arm around her, Richard replied, "That after a long day at the Inn, you won't be too tired to come home and spend a quiet evening alone with your husband."

Emily leaned in and put her hand on the side of Richard's face, her eyes sparkling. "That is a promise that I will have no problem keeping," she said with a smile as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

* * *

"Hey," Luke smiled, coming into the bedroom. Lorelai was sitting in bed, a magazine in her hands.

"Hey yourself," Lorelai replied, putting her magazine down in her lap.

"Sorry I'm so late. It took a while to close out the register tonight. Then Taylor cornered me for fifteen minutes as I was walking out to my truck. He wants to organize some stupid fall festival."

Lorelai looked down absently at the magazine in her lap, not really paying attention to what Luke was saying.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Why wouldn't it be?" she responded in a slightly defensive tone.

"Because you only read the _Harvard Business Review_ when you are trying to take your mind off something," Luke stated, trying not to sound as if he was attacking her.

"There was an interesting article in it," she countered, shrugging her shoulders.

"You have stated more than once that it is the most boring magazine you've ever read."

"Well, it's Rory subscription and I hate to just throw it away. I might as well look through it." She knew that Luke was aware she was lying but she wasn't ready to give in yet.

"Ok, then why are you wearing the pink top with Hello Kitty on it?"

Lorelai looked down at her tank top. "I like Hello Kitty. It's pink. It's smiling. What isn't there to like?"

"You like Hello Kitty because it makes you smile when you are having a bad day."

Lorelai didn't respond.

"Fine," Luke shrugged, "then stand up."

"What?"

"Stand up and show me that you aren't wearing the matching shorts." He crossed his arms, daring her to prove him wrong.

"All right, all right," she sighed, putting the magazine on the nightstand. "I had a bad day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Luke asked, moving to her side of the bed. His tone immediately changed to calm and understanding as he looked down at her.

Lorelai smiled up at him, grateful that he was back in her life. Even months after their reconciliation, it was moments like these that reminded her just how much she had missed him. And especially moments like these that reminded her how grateful she felt just to have him in her life. "Not right now," she stated quietly. "Go take a shower. It's past ten o'clock."

"You're sure that you don't want to talk about this?" he asked again.

Lorelai nodded, forcing herself to smile. Bending down to kiss her forehead, Luke picked up another magazine from the nightstand. "Read this. It's too depressing to see you reading the other one." She took the magazine and forced out another smile as Luke walked towards the bathroom.

Listening as he moved around in the other room and the water finally started, she put the magazine aside. She sat for a few minutes, uncertain of what to do next. She wasn't quite sure what to feel or what to think. Should she be sad? She was, in some ways, losing her partner. Well, she wasn't losing Sookie. She was just losing her part-time. Sookie would still be an owner of the Inn. What about the Inn, though? What would happen to the Inn without Sookie? Would not having her there full-time as the head chef change the Inn's reputation? Lorelai wondered if she should feel angry that her partner was pulling out of their dream. But did she have a right to be angry? How could she be angry that Sookie wanted to spend more time with her kids? How could she deny her best friend the chance to be there for her kids as they grow up? Or was she maybe jealous that Sookie actually had the option of staying home with her kids when she herself had to work day and night to take care of her child? Was it sadness? Anger? Jealously? Lorelai felt the tears that were stinging her eyes and refused to allow herself to let them fall.

Pulling up the sheet, Lorelai moved to lie down, putting her head against her pillow.

After a few minutes more, Luke emerged from the bathroom. Lorelai's back was turned to him but he knew that she was still awake. Shutting the bathroom door, he reached for the overhead light and turned it off. Luke carefully got into bed and laid down on his back. All was silent for a few moments more.

"Sookie is pulling out of the Inn," Lorelai sighed, rolling onto her back, her arms flopping down against her sides

"What?" Luke asked, shocked by her news. He pushed himself onto his side, turning to look at her.

"Well, not completely. She has to sell a part of her share." Lorelai still didn't turn her head to look at him.

"But you guys are complete partners," Luke rationalized.

"I know."

"And this was your dream… both of your dream…" He couldn't understand what she was telling him.

"I know."

"You guys went in on this together…"

"I know," Lorelai repeated once more.

"Maybe I could…" Luke suggested.

"It's too much money, Luke," she said quietly. "This isn't just a small portion of her share. It's a lot of money. And I don't know what to do."

"I'm so sorry," he sighed. "I wish there was something I could do."

"You're already doing something." Lorelai turned her head to finally look at him.

"What am I doing?" Luke asked, confused. He felt so helpless. There had to be some way he could help her. He would find a way to make this better for her.

"You're here," she stated, looking into his eyes, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"We can figure this out, Lorelai. There has to be something we can do to help Sookie. She can't sell her share. This is your dream. The Inn is your life."

Lorelai shook her head, putting her finger against Luke's lips. "I don't want to talk about it tonight." She rolled onto her side. "Not tonight," she whispered, moving forward to kiss him.

Giving in to her kiss, Luke knew that she didn't want to discuss it any further. As he placed his hand against Lorelai's hip, she shifted her body closer to his.

"I don't want to think about the Inn tonight," Lorelai stated, looking into Luke's eyes.

Luke nodded slightly, pushing Lorelai on her back as his lips once again met hers. Grabbing the edge of the camisole, he pulled it up and quickly jerked it from her arms. Lorelai's hands trailed down his sides and her fingers found the waistband of Luke's boxers as his lips traced a path down her neck. Her eyes slid shut and she allowed Luke to invade her thoughts and cast everything else aside, even if just for the night.

* * *

Emily walked out of the closet, turning off the light behind her. The only illumination in the room now came from the lamp on her bedside table. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, studyingher husband as he lay in bed. His back was to her but she could tell that he was not yet asleep. Afraid that he would turn over and catch her watching him, she crossed the room and climbed into bed.

Shutting off the lamp, she turned and moved closer to her husband. She slid closer to him and pressed her body against his. As her hand moved over his shoulder and across his chest, she nestledher head against his. She smiled as she felt Richard take her hand in his own, squeezing it as he held it to his chest.

"Thank you," she whispered adjusting her body to more comfortably lie against him.

"For what?" Richard asked, trying to turn his head towards her.

"For understanding that this is important to me and not trying to talk me out of it," she answered.

"Well, technically I did try to talk you out of it," he reminded her.

Emily laughed lightly. "Richard Gilmore the businessman tried to talk me out of it. Not you," she spoke softly.

Not letting go of her hand, Richard removed himself from her embrace and turned onto his back. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Emily. You and Lorelai have a cycle. Things seem to be fine and then something happens and you both end up hurt and refusing to speak to each other."

"This is different, Richard. I can't explain it. It's just different now."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Richard nodded. He brought her hand up to kiss it and grinned at the way her face seemed to be lit up with excitement. "As long as you're happy, then so am I," he spoke.

A smile spread across Emily's face as she averted her eyes from his gaze. "That's because your life is much easier when I'm happy."

"Well, yes, that too," he admitted with a laugh as he pulled his wife into his arms, kissing her.

Shifting her body closer to Richard's, Emily pushed him onto his back as she moved to straddle him. "You're right," she grinned. "Life is much easier when I'm happy," she repeated, looking down at her husband, her eyes full of sparkle and excitement. "It only took you forty years to understand that."

"I'm well aware of it now, my dear," his hand brushed against her face as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His other hand rested against her hip for a moment before it slid beneath her silk pajama top and up her back.

"I know it's late," she spoke, lowering herself down to kiss his neck, "but I'm not really that tired."


	3. The Art of the Deal

**Chapter 3**

_**The Art of the Deal**_

"So," Luke sighed, putting down a whole wheat bagel topped with low fat cream cheese in front of Lorelai. Ignoring her discontented look, he continued. "Do you know what you are going to do yet?"

"No," Lorelai breathed, looking down at the bagel. It was … brown and had little grainy things in it. "I don't really want to think about it right now. I mean … I can't not think about it. But I don't want to."

"It'll all work out," he reassured, placing his hand atop of hers. "I promise," he added as she looked up at him with a forced smile.

"I should get to work," Lorelai stated, sliding off the stool as Babette took the seat next to her. Morey silently appeared at Babette's side.

"Hey, Sugah," Babette's raspy voice greeted her, "I guess you noticed the lawn this mornin', huh?" she stated rather dejectedly.

"Yeah," Lorelai feigned, looking over at Morey, who had an equally sad frown upon his face.

"I thought maybe we should come over last night and tell ya after they came and got him, but it was just too hard. I couldn't go out there and not see his little face pokin' out from around the corner, ya know?" She looked from Lorelai to Morey. He nodded, bending his head down.

As a million thoughts ran through her mind, Lorelai frantically looked to Luke who quickly turned away and reached for a coffee pot. "Uh, I understand, Babette. I mean … you guys needed time."

Babette nodded, looking down at her hands. "He was like family, ya know?" She laughed unexpectedly, causing Lorelai to jump. "You must think we're crazy, all this fuss over a ceramic gnome."

Finally ascertaining the subject of Babette and Morey's sadness, Lorelai realized that they were talking about their garden gnome, Pierpont. "Well," Lorelai stammered, "of course not. He's … You guys had him for a long time, as long as I've lived here." She glanced up at Luke who rolled his eyes as he turned to pour a customer's coffee, purposefully staying just far enough away.

"Who knew he was so valuable?" Babette asked, looking at Morey, who only shrugged. "We'd never have known if it weren't for Morey's blog. He posted a photo of Pierry and some collector in Manitoba made us an offer. We didn't believe he was serious until he showed up at the door last night." Leaning closer to Lorelai, Babette motioned for her to bend down so that she could whisper. "Five hundred…" she spoke, watching as Lorelai nodded and didn't seem to flinch. "…thousand," she added, watching as Lorelai's eyes finally widened.

"I .. uh … wow."

"Yeah, that's what Morey said," Babette nodded, motioning to Morey who nodded once again. "We just couldn't pass up that kind of money. We've been wanting to invest in real estate here in Stars Hollow for years. This town is growing and Morey always says, 'Now's the time,' yet we never seem to have that kinda cash lying around, ya know?"

"Yeah," Lorelai stammered, suddenly feeling the need to get out of the diner as fast as possible. "I've got to get to work. I'll see you guys later."

"Come by after dinner and we'll have a drink in Pierry's honor," Babette suggested. "Give him a proper send off."

Nodding, Lorelai turned to say good-bye to Luke.

"You want me to wrap the bagel so you can take it with you?" he asked, looking down at her uneaten breakfast.

Laughing at his joke, Lorelai slung her purse strap over her shoulder. "See ya tonight," she grinned, shaking her head before walking about the door.

"I was serious," Luke remarked, looking up at Cesar who had just appeared next to him.

"I'll eat it," Cesar offered. "My new girlfriend has me on this healthy eating kick. She says whole wheat is good for the digestive system."

"Enjoy," Luke huffed, taking a plate of pancakes from Cesar to deliver to a customer.

* * *

A petite dark haired woman in a grey uniform refilled Emily's coffee cup and glanced uneasily at the empty chair at the other end of the table.

"Just leave the pot by his place, Marcella. He should be here any moment," Emily instructed. The woman quickly did as she was told and returned to the kitchen.

Emily glanced at her watch and took sip of coffee before replacing the cup on the saucer and shaking her head. Behind her, Richard strode into the room. He paused next to her chair and planted a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Good morning, my dear."

"There you are! Breakfast has been ready for fifteen minutes," she commented dryly.

"I was on the phone with Fenton Piedmont. He's going to start drawing up the papers for your purchase agreement with Sookie," he explained as he sat down at his end of the table and dropped the napkin into his lap.

"Oh, Richard, that's wonderful," Emily gushed excitedly before calling out, "Marcella…" she paused and waited for the woman to appear, "please make Mr. Gilmore a fresh omelet."

Marcella nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Gilmore," she replied before quickly before ducking back into the kitchen.

Richard took the ornate bone china coffee pot that had been left next to his place and poured himself a cup. "I've left a list of things you'll need to ask Sookie to provide next to the phone in the study. You'll need to arrange a time to meet with Fenton and the appraiser he's recommended. They should be able to run the numbers in a matter of hours. I think we should be prepared to pay a bit over the appraised value, Emily. It's never good to mix business and personal relationships. I don't want Sookie or her husband to look back and think that they were in any way short changed."

"You're right, of course," she agreed with a smile. "Oh, I'm so excited. Just think by the end of the day we'll be in business with our daughter. Who would have ever thought?"

With a smile, Richard corrected her. "You'll be in business with our daughter, Emily. I intend to be completely neutral in this whole endeavor. Also, I think you should begin to consider the best way to approach Lorelai. It's bound to take her some time to get used to the idea."

"Everything's going to be just fine. You'll see," she countered. "It may take her a little while to get used to the idea, but this is going to be really be good for us all."

Richard sighed and sipped his coffee. He knew there was nothing more he could say.

* * *

"Eww," Lorelai commented making a face as Mariah Carey's voice began blaring from her car radio. She pushed the next button over and Celine Dion's voice replaced Mariah's, hardly an improvement. With a scowl, she pushed the next button and some twangy country number filled the air. Finally becoming completely frustrated, Lorelai clicked the radio off as she turned into the driveway of the Dragonfly. On autopilot, she steered the Jeep to her usual parking space only to find a workman's truck already occupying it. With an exasperated huff, she turned the wheel and headed to the opposite end of the staff parking lot. In irritation, she punched the gas pedal and the Jeep hit a large stone sloshing coffee onto her jacket. Growling audibly, she turned into the only empty spot and cut the motor. Lorelai groped around on the floor behind the passenger seat until locating what she wanted with her hand. "Yes!" she announced in triumph as she yanked a smashed and dented Kleenex box free. She dropped the box onto the console between the two seats and quickly pulled out a tissue, poised to pull out several in quick succession, she was surprised to find that that was the box was empty. With a defeated look at the one flimsy Kleenex in her hand, she half-heartedly swiped at the spilled coffee and threw the tattered tissue to the floor of the car.

Climbing out of the jeep with her purse and mostly empty coffee cup, she trudged toward the back entrance of the Inn, trying not to let her spindly heels sink into the gravel. When she safely reached the stone pathway, she breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn't twisted her ankle or ruined her shoes.

Just as she neared the building, Michel rushed out of the door talking a mile a minute. "Finally, you are here! You must do something" Lorelai continued walking up the pathway, Michel following her all the way. "No one will listen to me and we just cannot allow this to continue. I do not know why they won't listen to me. They never listen to me. You need to hold another staff meeting and tell these people to listen to me, but first you must do something."

"Okay, Michel, just let me get some more coffee. I only had time for one cup this morning and this one ended up more on my jacket than anywhere else." She opened the back door to the kitchen and dropped the paper cup into the trash.

"This cannot wait!" Michel countered. "You must call that awful Manny person immediately. People will think that we are killing the guests, murdering them in their sleep."

Lorelai grabbed a clean coffee cup from the top of the machine which was just beginning to drip fresh coffee into the empty pot. "What are you talking about? Why will people think we're murdering the guests?"

"Have you been listening to a word I say?" he asked indignantly. "No one listens to me!"

"Yes, Michel. I have been listening to you. You said something about Manny and dead guests," Lorelai replied, frustration clearly starting to show in her tone.

"The linen service delivered our sheets this morning and they are ruined. There are blood red stains all over our perfect sheets. It looks like the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre."

Lorelai blinked a few times and looked longingly toward the coffee maker, which was still just barely starting to brew the coffee. She groaned and headed towards her office to call Manny.

* * *

Emily stood next to Richard's desk in the study and gazed at her book as she dialed Sookie's phone number.

A cheery but tired sounding voice answered the phone, "Hello."

"Sookie, hello, this is Emily Gilmore," she announced with a hint of formality.

"Oh, Emily, hello," Sookie stood up a bit straighter as she turned off the water in her kitchen sink.

"I've been thinking and I believe I have come up with a solution to your problem. Have you thought more about selling a portion of your share in the Dragonfly?" Emily asked trying to keep her voice as business-like as possible.

Sookie sank into a kitchen chair and looked at Martha who was happily banging her sippy cup on the tray of her high chair, the remains of her juice spraying out in all directions. "Actually, Jackson and I talked it over last night and we agreed we'll have to do that."

"Excellent!" Emily quickly settled herself and continued. "I mean I think that's an excellent solution to your immediate problem."

"Well, there really isn't anything else to be done right now and we need to focus on stabilizing Jackson's farm first, and --"

"Of course you do," Emily replied quickly.

"I just don't want to have some stranger in business with us and I don't want to do that to Lorelai either. I've already let her down as it is." Sookie took the cup away from Martha who quickly started to cry, so she gave it back, deciding the juice was pretty much spilled already, what's a little more.

"Well, I think I have the perfect solution to both those problems. You'll get a more than fair price for a portion of your share in the Inn and you won't have to sell to a stranger," Emily explained.

"Really?" Sookie brightened. "That sounds great. How do we do that?"

"You sell half of your interest to me." Emily answered simply.

"Wow, that does sound perfect," Sookie agreed as Davie ran into the room making choo-choo sounds.

"I'd like you to meet me at my attorney's office later this afternoon. Would that be possible?" Emily asked trying to keep her voice calm but be heard over the commotion she could hear on the other end of the line.

"Sure, Jackson will be back in a little while. Let me get a pen and I'll write down the address," Sookie rose and began digging through a kitchen drawer.

"You'll also need to bring some papers with you." Emily smiled at how easily things were going so far. "Do you have something to write with?"

Finally, Sookie pulled out a green crayon, yanked a paper towel off the roll and answered, "Okay, all set."

* * *

"Manny, my main man, so good of you to call me back. How are you?" Lorelai straightened up the papers on the front desk as she spoke. She'd changed into a grey jacket which didn't completely clash with her dress, but didn't give her the same rosy feeling as the pink one which was now covered in coffee. "Me? I've been better, Manny, much better. Did you happen to see the linens that went out this morning? You did? So you can explain what happened?"

Michel looked out the front window saw something and took off quickly out the front door.

Lorelai cocked her head to the side and watched him go, but continued with her conversation. "Manny, I'm sorry that you're having trouble with the new night laundry guy, but I need sheets that don't look like they've done a guest shot on CSI." A commotion could be heard on the front porch and she rounded the desk to check it out. "No, Manny, I cannot wait until tomorrow's delivery. I need a new set of sheets pronto. I have guests who expect to sleep on clean sheets, and I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation, do you? Manny, we're buds right? How about dinner for two on the house? Four? I'm sure I have a room available for your in-laws if you can get me clean, white, non-stained sheets before lunch." The yelling from the porch was getting louder. "I knew we could work something out. Bye, Manny." She pushed the button on the cordless phone disconnecting the call and opened the door.

Michel was waving a hammer in the air and a man in overalls was trying to get it away from him without being hit.

"What is going on out here?" she asked sternly.

"The incessant banging, like Chinese water torture, I just could not take it anymore," Michel answered holding up the hammer as evidence.

"I don't know, lady, I was just minding my own business, working and this guy runs up and grabs the hammer right out of my hands," the workman explained.

Lorelai forcefully wrenched the hammer away from Michel who tried to hold on to it with both hands, she turned back to the dark-haired worker and returned his hammer. "I'm sorry, Joe." She said the name as a question and he nodded in reply. "This won't happen again," she turned back and looked daggers at Michel, "will it Michel?"

"I cannot take the banging," he answered.

"I don't care what you can take or not take. We're renovating the stables and you cannot run around taking hammers away from people," Lorelai scolded him.

Michel's shoulders slumped slightly but he looked defiantly up at Lorelai and with a "hmm," he turned on his heel and stalked back into the lobby.

Lorelai turned back to Joe who glowered back at her. "So, I'll have some muffins sent out, how would that be?"

"Muffins would be nice," Joe grumbled back at her, "and coffee?"

"Yes, muffins and coffee, coming right up," Lorelai responded with a smile. "Think maybe that framing might get finished today?"

Joe nodded once answering, "Could be, you'd have to talk to Tom," before he headed back toward the stable.

Lorelai paused on the porch for a moment looking down at the steps and shaking her head. How could she explain this business to someone else? How could she explain the enigma that was Michel? A new partner would probably want to get rid of him, but they wouldn't know the history, the yin and yang that made it all work. Could she even face doing this with someone other than Sookie? What was the alternative? Just as she pondered all of this a pair of shoes stepped into her field of vision, following up the slightly worn brown cords to the face she knew she'd find she resigned herself to it being that much longer before she saw another cup of coffee. She signed as she turned and walked into the lobby knowing that the person would follow her. "Yes, Kirk, what can I do for you?"

"Lorelai, have you considered your holiday wrapping paper needs?" he asked holding up a small catalogue.

"Kirk, it's September. I haven't considered my holiday anything yet. I need to get through fall first," she stated, trying to keep the frustration of her morning out of her voice and not succeeding.

Her listener continued undaunted. "This is the time to plan ahead. You don't want to be caught short without enough ribbon or tissue paper. What if you ran out of bows? I have a nice selection of both the pull bows and the readymade sticky-backed bows for all your wrapping needs."

"Kirk, really, I'm sorry, but I can't do Christmas wrap right now. I have tons left over from last year and I don't really wrap that much. I just have it done at the store," Lorelai explained holding up her hand and gently pushing the catalogue away. "Hey, didn't you try this before and end up on the wrong side of the grammar school crowd?"

"I've lined up a couple Junior High School kids this year as protection. If you're sure," he shrugged, "just don't complain to me when you're caught high and dry on Christmas Eve bowless."

"You have my word," Lorelai quickly replied keeping her eye roll to a minimum.

"At least I can count on Miss Patty for a large order this year. She's bound to be in a generous mood what with the big fat inheritance she just got," Kirk reasoned shutting his catalogue and placing it into his briefcase.

Lorelai shook her head and tried to focus on Kirk. "What?"

"Seems one of her ex-husbands died and never changed the beneficiary on his mondo life insurance policy. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he never got over Patty, who's to know? East Side Tilly is a romantic; she thinks he carried a torch for Patty all this time. Personally, I think he was just absent minded. Either way, Patty's in the chips. I heard her this morning talking about looking around for investment property, but I'm sure she'll put some aside for Christmas gifts. She's a giver. Well, see ya." He turned and walked out of the Inn pausing to hit up Bob the gardener on the walkway back down the path.

Lorelai took a deep breath while the new information washed over her. Miss Patty looking for investment property. It wasn't possible. She loved Patty, but from a nice safe distance in the audience at a dance recital, across the room at a town meeting, even on the receiving end of her lethal Founders Day Punch, but not up close, not in business together. She looked around the room, an image of scarves over the lamps and Patty singing in front of the fireplace flitted through her mind and she had to physically shake it off before going into the kitchen and sweet talking Sookie's replacement into parting with a dozen muffins.

* * *

"Hey, Cesar, can you take over the front?" Luke asked as he stood by the coffee maker, replacing an empty pot and hitting the button to start the new brew.

"Sure, Luke, the breakfast crowd is starting to head out, anyways," Cesar smiled, appearing next to him, his perpetually cheery mood irking Luke just a bit.

"Thanks. I won't be gone too long," he replied before heading up the back steps and pushing open the door to his apartment. Once inside, he quickly crossed the room and pulled open a drawer in his father's old desk. After rummaging through a few files he pulled out what he wanted and reached for the phone. Waiting as it rang, he rolled his eyes as a perky young woman answered. "I need to speak to Mr. Beaumont," Luke cut her off as she attempted to speak.

"I'm sorry, sir," the secretary apologized, "but he's in a meeting. Can I take a message?"

"Tell him to call Luke Danes. He knows the number," he answered curtly, prepared to hang up.

"Mr. Danes…" the woman called out quickly trying to catch him, "could you hold a moment, please?"

"Sure," Luke agreed, taking a seat at his desk. He flipped absently through the papers in front of him.

Within seconds, he heard a short ring before the refined tone of a slight Welsh accent greeted him. "Luke, so nice to hear from you! I was just looking over some of your mutual funds. Your portfolio has really –"

"That's great," Luke cut him off, not bothering to listen to what the man was saying. "I need to know how fast I can come up with a substantial sum of money."

"Define substantial," Mr. Beaumont spoke, leaning back in his chair as he listened to Luke's answer. Taking a moment to run a few preliminary figures in his mind, his response was less than well received. "Luke, I must remind you that it has always been your contention that your portfolio focus on long-term investments. You have constantly rebutted any attempts I've made to suggest that you invest in liquid assets."

Scanning the file in front of him, Luke read off a few pieces of data that caught his eye.

"Luke, once again, I have to remind you that these are long-term investments. There is a substantial penalty should you withdraw any amount of funds early," the banker reminded him. "A penalty of at least thirty percent in some cases."

"Noon," Luke stated, closing the folder before him.

"I'm sorry…?" Beaumont questioned, puzzled by Luke's declaration.

"Noon. You go to lunch at Spinelli's at noon," Luke explained. "I'll meet you there. Bring whatever it is that I have to sign."

"Luke … I …" Mr. Beaumont stared defiantly at the phone in his hands as the dial tone echoed in the background.


	4. I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

_**Chapter 4**_

_**I Love It When a Plan Comes Together**_

Emily was waiting in the expensively furnished reception room of Fenton Piedmont's law office when Sookie entered clutching a manila folder. Emily rose to greet her. "Sookie, thank you so much for agreeing to meet me on such short notice."

"No, no, I should be thanking you," Sookie gushed effusively and then held up the manila folder. "I brought the papers you told me we'd need. Can we really get this all done in one day?"

Emily smiled. "You can get anything done in one day if you are sufficiently motivated."

The tall blonde receptionist got up and walked towards them. "Are you ready Mrs. Gilmore?"

"Yes, thank you, Maureen," Emily answered as she gestured for Sookie to follow the woman into a paneled conference room where they were immediately met by Fenton Piedmont and the appraiser who he introduced as Mr. Ashcroft.

"Yes, we spoke on the phone," Sookie replied on being introduced to the appraiser.

Once everyone had taken seats at the table, Emily and Sookie on one side and Piedmont and Ashcroft on the other, the appraiser gestured toward the file Sookie was firmly clutching. "I'm guessing the papers you brought contain the same information you gave me over the phone."

"Yes," Sookie answered sliding the folder across the conference table, "and the other papers that you needed are in there as well."

"Very well," Fenton responded tapping the file. "If the numbers are what we were expecting, we have a figure in mind that I think will be suitable for all parties involved." He produced a pad of paper and wrote a number down on it then passed it across the table to Emily.

Emily took an enameled Montblanc pen from her purse, crossed out the number on the paper, wrote another in its place and slid the tablet to Sookie.

Sookie looked down at the figure and her eyes widened in astonishment. "I… uh… I…. um…" She waved a hand in front of her face fanning the air.

"Sookie, why don't you step outside and call your husband. I wouldn't want you to do anything without talking it over with him first," Emily instructed pleasantly.

"Um….yeah… Jackson… call Jackson," Sookie stammered picking up her purse and the pad of paper and almost feeling her way over to the door.

Emily watched her leave and sat back in her seat with a smile. Thoughts of how this would bring her closer to her daughter played through her mind. They'd finally have something in common. Something Lorelai loved, a part of that elusive Stars Hollow life of hers. This was something they could share that was a part of her daughter's world and not hers, maybe that would make the difference.

* * *

"I looked over all the papers, Luke. You are going to take a huge penalty, almost thirty percent. It's financial suicide. This is your retirement. Your future. You can't just throw it away on some woman." Thurston dipped his spoon into a clean, white teacup. Stirring it carefully so as not to slosh any of the tea from the cup, he gently tapped it against the rim before placing the spoon atop his saucer. Looking back up at Luke, he smiled politely, trying to convey his sympathy for Luke's situation.

Luke looked around the restaurant at the pretentious guests that were seated in the old leather booths before looking back at the man across from him. "Thurston, this isn't _some_ woman. This is the woman I've been in love with for twenty years. This is the woman that I'm about to marry. This inn is her future. It's _our_ future now," Luke argued. "I cannot let her sell out to some stranger. I don't care what I have to do. I won't let that happen to her."

Sighing, Thurston slid back in his seat, his teacup poised expertly in his hand. "There is one option," he admitted, sipping the hot liquid slowly.

Luke looked up at him, his feeling of hopelessness vanishing. Whatever the option was, he'd take it.

"A loan," Thurston huffed unhappily, placing his cup back on the saucer. "You could use your retirement accounts as collateral. The rate isn't going to be stellar but it is less of a penalty than using your retirement funds. And when this inn turns around and shows a profit, you can pay the money back in full." He shrugged his shoulders. "That's all I've got for you, Luke."

Nodding, Luke darted his eyes around the room for a second. "Then, I guess that's what we do. How soon can you take care of this?"

Sighing, Thurston reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a cream-colored business card. "That's my cell phone number. Call me tonight. I'll have Marcie work on the papers when I get back to the office."

"Great," Luke breathed, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief.

* * *

Lorelai strode purposefully through the door and up to the counter of Luke's Diner where Lane greeted her with a smile. "Coffee, please, and make it a double," she tried to sound pleasant but her less than outstanding day was really starting to catch up with her.

"For here or to go?" Lane asked with a smile.

"Both," came the quick reply.

With a small laugh and a shake of her head, Lane grabbed an extra large mug and the half-full coffee pot. She placed the cup in front of Lorelai and immediately filled it up while observing, "Bad day?"

Lorelai lifted the mug to her mouth with both hands and paused briefly to answer. "You have no idea." She took several long, slow sips of the life-giving beverage and gradually lowered the cup to the counter, while keeping both hands firmly on it. "Luke around?"

"Sorry, you just missed him," Lane responded while she wiped down the counter. "He said he had an errand to run. I don't know how long he'll be."

"Ah, well, at least he left his coffee," Lorelai quipped taking another sip.

Lane laughed lightly. "It's so great to be out of the house and around adults again."

Lorelai nodded in understanding. "How are Kwan and Steve? I bet they're getting big."

"They're good," Lane said proudly. "They're both sitting up now and get a very big thrill out of trying to knock each other over."

"You should bring them by sometime," Lorelai commented before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Yeah, that would be nice. I will," Lane agreed then moved to the register to ring up a customer.

Taylor entered and greeted several of the other customers on his way to the counter where he took the seat next to Lorelai.

"What can I get you?" Lane asked him.

"I'd like an extra large slice of lemon meringue pie and a cup of coffee," he replied with a gleam in his eye. "I'm celebrating."

Lane quietly went about preparing his pie while Lorelai tried to ignore that Taylor was even there by continuing to stare at her coffee.

"I said, I'm celebrating," Taylor repeated more loudly leaning closer to Lorelai.

Lorelai took another sip before glancing at Taylor. "Hi, Taylor."

"Hello, Lorelai. Did you hear that I'm celebrating?" he asked as Lane placed his pie and coffee in front of him.

"I did hear that, Taylor. Congratulations," She turned toward Lane. "So that to-go cup?"

"Coming right up," Lane answered while retrieving the paper cup and lid, though she had to make another detour to the cash register before filling it.

Taylor again leaned closer to Lorelai and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Wouldn't you like to know why I'm celebrating?"

Lorelai cast a desperate look at Lane and then turned to Taylor, her shoulders slumped. "Sure Taylor, why are you celebrating?"

"Funny you should ask. You know that highway expansion the county is doing?" he was positively bursting with some sort of annoying giddiness.

"Yeah, I remember reading something about it," she answered while digging out her wallet and removing a few bills.

"Put your money away," Lane instructed her while filling the to-go cup. Lorelai shook her head, but Lane went on, "There has to be some perk to being the owner's girlfriend."

"Well I can at least tip," Lorelai answered putting the money down on the counter.

Taylor just continued talking undeterred. "Well, the highway expansion is going to go right smack dab through a tract of land I bought several years back. Never could do anything with it, I figured it was worthless, but you wouldn't believe how much the county is going to pay for the right of way. I'm making a killing. Now all I need to figure out is where to invest the money. I've got the Soda Shoppe, the Market, what I need is diversification. How's the inn business, Lorelai?"

Lorelai rose and took a step away from Taylor. "The inn business?"

Taylor placed a hand over his chest. "I've always thought I would make a very good innkeeper. I'm really a people person at heart. Don't you agree?" he turned to Lane as he asked the question.

"Um… yeah, sure," Lane stammered out trying to keep from laughing.

Lorelai continued to back towards the door. "Sure, you'd be great, Taylor. Well gotta run," she said turning and hightailing it for the door.

Lane picked up the paper cup and called after her, "Your coffee," but the door had already closed and Lorelai was walking briskly down the street.

"I guess she's just afraid of a little competition," Taylor commented smugly before taking a large bite of his pie.

* * *

Emily finished writing out her check and tore it from her check book then placed it on the conference table next to Sookie, who sat beside her, happily signing a contract. Reverently, Sookie picked up the check and Fenton Piedmont took the contract she had just signed and placed it in front of Emily who signed where indicated with a flourish.

"Well, that's that," Piedmont announced. "Emily, you now own a quarter share in the Dragonfly Inn, and Mrs. Belville, I suggest you take that check directly to your bank and deposit it."

"Oh, I plan to, Mr. Piedmont," Sookie replied being very careful to place the check in a zippered compartment in her purse.

Emily rose and shook Piedmont's hand. "Thank you for expediting this matter Fenton. I appreciate it very much."

"Well, we'll see just how much you appreciate it when you get the bill," he remarked.

Emily gave his joke a courtesy laugh, and then Sookie abruptly stood and hugged her.

"Emily, I can't tell you how much this means to me," she gushed. Emily was shocked but brought her hands up and patted Sookie's back a couple of times before she was able to step back and away. Sookie began fanning her face with both hands and blinking rapidly. "I'm sorry, I'm still a bit hormonal," she explained her voice starting to crack.

"That's alright, dear," Emily tried to sound sympathetic but was embarrassed by the emotional outburst in front of the attorney.

Sookie took a few deep breaths and seemed to collect herself. "Okay… I'm good now… and I'm going to go straight to the bank," she said placing her large purse on her shoulder and patting it.

"That's a good idea," Emily said, steering her toward the door.

* * *

Walking up the path to the Dragonfly, Lorelai was struck by the quiet, the lack of hammering and other construction like sounds. She found Tom and his crew packing up for the day, clearly most of them had already left. "So, how's it coming, Tom?" she asked.

"Good, good," he answered as he placed his hardhat under his arm, "framing'll be finished tomorrow, I'd say so we're right on schedule."

"That sounds good," Lorelai answered with a sigh, finally something today was going right.

"Yeah, well we've hit a bit of a snag with the roofing supplier, but the framing will definitely be done tomorrow."

Lorelai sighed again, this one definitely not a sigh of relief. "What kind of a snag?"

"Well, seems they sent our order out to someone else, and they didn't notice until it was in place," he explained.

"Didn't notice?" she questioned her voice getting higher.

"Well, not all contractors are as thorough as I am," he quipped with a smile.

"So, when will we be able to get our roofing materials?" she questioned.

"Probably be an extra two to three weeks," he answered, but quickly added, "we can keep working on the siding and the subfloor, long as it doesn't rain."

Lorelai looked up at the autumn sky and wiped a hand across her brow. "Just do what you can, Tom."

"You got it," he answered then turned and finished packing up his tools.

Lorelai walked up to the Inn and around to the front porch where she slumped down onto a bench. She took out her cell phone and punched out the number she could dial in her sleep. After just a few rings a familiar voice answered. "Hey Kid," she greeted.

"Mom, hi," Rory replied happily. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Lorelai answered cheerily. "Just wanted to see what my little Brenda Starr was up to this afternoon."

"Ah well, nothing too adventurous today. We're in Iowa with everyone else. Today was the 4-H pavilion at a county fair," Rory explained. "The highlight was a butter cow."

"Butter cow, that sounds pretty exciting to me." Lorelai was happy to have something else to focus on. "Was it life size?" She started to giggle.

"It was indeed life size," Rory answered flatly, "a life sized butter cow. I was just sitting here trying to figure out what to say about a life sized butter cow that would make it the least bit interesting."

Lorelai continued to laugh. "Oh, you don't have to say anything, just the fact that someone would make a life sized butter cow is interesting enough."

"Well, as long as you get a kick out of it," Rory responded teasingly.

"I'm sorry, Honey, but I really needed that. It's been a real pain of a day here," Lorelai explained.

"What's wrong?" Rory asked sounding a bit worried.

"Oh, nothing, just the usual. Oh, you should have heard Michel this morning," Lorelai started to laugh again sounding a bit loopy. "The sheets that were delivered from the linen service had some ghastly looking red stains all over them. He said… he said…" her laughter kept stopping her from finishing the thought, finally she was able to get it out quickly, "he said it looked like we were murdering the guests in their sleep," she continued laughing, "and it did."

Rory laughed lightly. "That sounds awful. What did you do?"

"I tracked Manny down and got him to deliver new sheets, took a few phone calls, and a promise to put up his in-laws for their next visit, but it was worth it," Lorelai explained.

"Yeah, I agree. Can't have people thinking you're offing the guests," Rory said. "Anything else?"

"Nah, just stuff, you know," Lorelai hedged.

"So, talk to Grandma and Grandpa recently?" Rory asked innocently.

"Now that you mention it, your Grandmother did come by on Saturday," Lorelai answered. "She brought some lamp she found at an auction." Lorelai took a deep breath and reconsidered the lamp. "Actually, it's a gorgeous Tiffany lamp, but she just wants me to get rid of the monkey lamp and you know how attached I am to that monkey lamp."

"I know you and the monkey lamp are bonded for life, but can't you have both? A real Tiffany lamp is a pretty amazing thing," Rory reasoned. "Did you at least say thank you?"

"Yes, but I should probably thank her again on Friday night," Lorelai admitted.

"Things still going good at Friday night dinner?" Rory asked.

"Yeah, it's actually not so bad. I miss you, but my parents and I seem to have come to some sort of understanding especially since that weekend at the Cape. It's almost like they've relaxed or something," Lorelai tried to put the feeling into words.

"That's great!" Rory was excited. "Maybe you've relaxed a bit too. I can't wait until Thanksgiving. It's going to be great to see you guys again."

"Yeah, same here, kid," Lorelai replied wistfully.

"Well, I should go. I need to get this story filed pretty soon," Rory stated.

"Okay, love you," Lorelai told her.

"Love you too," Rory answered then hung up.

Lorelai closed her phone and looked down at it for a moment. Things were better between her and her parents, maybe better than they'd ever been. She'd only had to ask them for help once and that had been for Rory, but there didn't seem to be another way. She needed to keep the Inn out of some stranger's hands, or worse someone she knew. She couldn't be in business with anyone but Sookie, she knew that. She'd just have to ask her parents for another loan and hope it wouldn't cause too many problems. It was only a few months ago that her mother had been eager to loan her money for the Inn, babbling about spas and bubble covered tennis courts. Maybe she'd just see this as an extension of that offer.


	5. Howdy Partner

**Chapter 5**

_**Howdy Partner**_

"Are you sure she didn't say why she was coming over?" Emily anxiously asked her husband.

"As I've already told you, she just asked if we would be home and if she could stop by this evening," he replied calmly while pouring them each some scotch.

"What about her voice? How did she sound?" she continued to quiz her husband as he handed her a glass and led her over to the sofa.

"She sounded perfectly normal. Now, let's sit down, have our drinks and try not to read too much into this." Richard sat down on one end of the sofa.

Emily perched tensely next to him and took a long drink of her scotch. "I was going to call her and see if she wanted to meet me for lunch tomorrow. Do you think she's spoken to Sookie?"

He sipped his drink and placed his free hand on Emily's back, gently rubbing in a circular pattern. "I think she'll probably be here any minute and we'll find out what she wants then."

His wife exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes. "Really, if you can't supply any more information than that, why bother to answer the phone in the first place?"

Richard simply shrugged and sipped his drink.

Emily put her empty glass on the coffee table. "She's bound to see reason… I mean this was the only solution that made sense. Sookie needed the money in a hurry. Lorelai doesn't have the resources to buy her out and I couldn't let just anyone buy into their business."

Lorelai pulled into the driveway of her parents' house and cut the motor of the Jeep. It went against every belief she had in herself to ask for help, especially to ask her parents for help, but she couldn't see any other way. After taking a few deep breaths, she quickly climbed out of the Jeep. Closing the door with a bit of an extra slam, she strode purposefully up to the front porch and pressed the doorbell.

Richard rose, picking up Emily's empty glass and walked over the drink cart in the corner of the room as Lorelai entered.

"Hey Dad, Mom," Lorelai greeted, trying to keep her nerves in check.

"Lorelai," Emily looked up and replied with a tight smile.

"Hello, Lorelai," her father's smile was more relaxed. "Scotch?"

"Sure," Lorelai nodded and sat on the loveseat opposite her mother.

Richard carried two glasses over to the seating area, returning Emily's to her and giving the other to Lorelai. He then sat down on the couch next to his wife.

Lorelai took a large sip of her drink and drew in a deep breath, preparing to launch into her rehearsed explanation and request.

Emily, however, spoke first. "Lorelai, I've come up with the perfect solution for Sookie's share in the Dragonfly."

Some of the tension left Lorelai's body. "So have I."

Emily visibly relaxed too. "I knew you'd see that this is the only way. It really is funny that we both had the same idea," Emily laughed a sort of release of all the nervous energy that had been building. "I met with Sookie today and it's all taken care of."

Lorelai blinked a few times and shook her head. "What's taken care of?"

Emily was slightly puzzled at Lorelai's sudden lack of understanding. "I bought half of Sookie's share in the Dragonfly," she explained matter-of-factly.

"You what?" Lorelai responded in shock.

Emily repeated what she had just said. "I bought half of Sookie's share in the Dragonfly."

Lorelai rose, placing her cut crystal glass forcefully down on the coffee table as she exclaimed, "Well, unbuy it."

Emily rose, too, gesturing broadly with her free hand. "I can't just unbuy it. Why would I do that?"

"Why would you buy it in the first place?" Lorelai demanded, her arms crossed tightly across her body.

Emily tried to outline her reasoning to her daughter, "Because it's the answer to everyone's problems. Sookie has the money she needs and then some. You don't have to worry about some stranger being a partner in your business. I don't see what else we could do. I thought a moment ago you agreed. What was your solution?" As she finished her tone was beginning to sound as angry and indignant as Lorelai's.

"It doesn't matter what my solution was now, does it?" Lorelai countered flinging her arms wide and then dropping them to her sides.

Richard stood and stepped to the end of the coffee table between the two women. "Now both of you, take a step back and try to look at this reasonably."

Lorelai's fists balled at her sides and she took a few deep breaths.

Emily squared her shoulders and took a sip of the drink clutched firmly in her hand.

"Now, as this is a business matter between the two of you, I have every confidence that you will be able to work it out calmly and civilly. I'll be in my study," and with that he turned and left the room.

"Coward," Emily muttered as he walked away.

Lorelai exhaled in little gasps, as she shook her head. It was a few steps short of an actual laugh but she did see some humor in her father's strategic retreat and in her mother's remark.

"I heard that, my Dear," he observed as he continued through the next room.

"I had every confidence that you would," his wife called back.

Lorelai looked her mother squarely in the eye. "Mom, the only way this can work is if you stay a silent partner. The Dragonfly has been pretty successful up to this point, and I know what I'm doing."

"Of course you do," Emily replied. "I assure you, I have no intention of being involved in the day to day operations of the Inn." As she spoke her voice was deceptively calm, her words sounding clipped. "I'm very busy, you know. I don't have time to interfere in your business."

Lorelai nodded. "As long as we understand each other."

Emily nodded briskly in return. "We understand each other perfectly."

Lorelai took a deep breath and stared at her mother for a moment. "Okay, well say goodbye to Dad for me." She headed for the foyer.

"We'll see you Friday night?" Emily tried to make the question sound neutral, but she was deeply afraid of the answer her daughter would give.

Lorelai paused and turned back to her mother. "Yeah, Friday night," she answered then walked over to the door, picked up her purse and coat, and left.

Emily sunk back down onto the sofa, her shoulders slumped.

* * *

"I need coffee," Lorelai announced, pushing the door open as she walked into the diner. "Strong black coffee," she demanded.

Luke looked up as the door swung shut behind her, the rag he had been using to wipe off the counter grasped in his hand. "The pot is cold. I'm almost finished cleaning up. I thought we were going to meet at home…"

"I don't care if it's cold," she mumbled, walking past him to the coffee pot. Luke watched as she slid behind him and took the pot from its holder. She rarely came behind the counter, mainly because she knew that he didn't like it. Watching her demeanor, he could tell that something was up. "Where are the mugs?" she asked, looking down at the shelf under the counter.

"They are in the back drying. I'll go get you one," Luke offered, not wanting to disturb her fragile balance. He could tell from the way she was standing and the look on her face that she was on edge.

"No, this is fine," she stated, taking long, slender glass from its resting place and pouring the cold, black coffee into it. The pot clinked as she sat it down on the counter to gulp down the liquid.

Luke watched her behavior, eyeing her cautiously. She didn't let go of the glass until it was empty. He kept waiting for a moment to bring up his news but he was uncertain about how to begin. "Uh … Lorelai?" She sat the glass down on the counter and turned to look at him.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him yet somehow looking past him.

"Are you all right?" he finally asked, increasingly worried by her sullen and unresponsive mood.

Lorelai was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking over her response. "No," she finally spoke. "No, I'm not, Luke."

"I think I have an idea that is going to make things better," he announced.

Apparently not having heard his statement, Lorelai continued. "How long have you known me, Luke?"

"What?" Luke asked, looking at her strangely.

"How long have you known me?" He stuttered, trying to speak but she cut him off and continued. "Years, right?" Luke nodded, keeping silent. "In all that time, how many times have I ever had to ask someone else for help?"

"Lorelai – this situation is …"

"No. I've taken care of myself since I was seventeen. I left my parents' house and I made a life for myself and my kid. Maybe we didn't live like Rockefellers but we had a decent life. I took care of us. I provided for us. When Rory needed something, she got it. Then one time, one time," she stressed, "I had to go to my parents. I had to put my pride aside and go to them for help. I had to go crawling back to them and turn my back on everything I had achieved in the last fifteen years. But I did it. I did it for Rory. I did it so that she could go to the best school. And I don't regret that. It was for Rory. And I even paid them back. Every cent, I paid them back. But I promised myself that I would never have to do that again. I would never have to ask my parents for money. I vowed to myself, Luke." When she stopped speaking, her sudden burst of energy was once again gone and she felt drained.

"Lorelai," he tried to interrupt, wanting to tell her about the solution he'd found, trying to tell her she didn't have to ask her parents.

"No, no," she interjected, holding up her hand, apparently having found her second wind. "I have spent years building this business on my own. Just Sookie and me. We did it all. We got the money for the loan. We built the Inn. We hired a staff. We did it all. I did it all without having to ask my parents for help. When I thought it was going to all fall apart, I didn't have to ask them for help. And now …" Her hands flailed in the air, "I decided this afternoon that I have no choice but to go to my parents. I have to ask them for help. It is the only way to not risk losing the Inn to a stranger." She collapsed back against the counter.

"Lorelai, you don't-"

"So, I called the house and asked my father if I could come over," she continued. "I drive the whole way to Hartford planning in my head what to say to them, planning how I am going to grovel to my parents for help. Convincing myself that I have no choice and that even if I have to ruin everything that I have accomplished in their eyes, this is what I have to do… I get there and – "

"You don't have to – "

"They've already bought it," she stated flatly, dropping her hand to her side.

Luke stood frozen. "They bought it?"

Lorelai nodded. "They bought into the Inn. My mother announces this to me as if it is some minor little side note, as if it's just the most natural thing that she now owns a quarter of my Inn.She's laughing. She's smiling. And then boom. She and my Dad bought half of Sookie's share."

"You're saying they …" Luke had to be certain that what she was saying was true.

"She and my Dad bought half of Sookie's share," Lorelai confirmed.

"They bought Sookie's share? Sookie's share of the Dragonfly?" Luke repeated slowly, not quite believing that he was hearing this correctly.

Lorelai nodded. "My parents own a quarter of the Inn."

Luke just stared at her, unable to speak.

"How could I not have seen this coming?" she ranted. "I should have seen this a million miles away. It is so typical. Just when I think that things are getting better and that they respect me and my life, they go and do this." Deflated from her revelation, she flopped against the counter. "My parents own part of my inn," she spoke quietly. "Twenty years I've been working for this, Luke. Twenty years I have been trying to establish a life for myself, on my own. Twenty years I have been trying to prove that I can take care of myself. And now …" She couldn't continue, dropping her head down.

Instantly moving to her side, Luke wrapped his arms around her as she sobbed.

* * *

Standing in her robe, looking out the bedroom window, Emily was glad that Richard still remained in his study. Lorelai had left hours ago yet she hadn't seen her husband since his departure earlier in the evening. Quite frankly, she wasn't in the mood to see him or to see anyone, really. How had things gone so wrong, so quickly? Everything had been perfect. It was the perfect solution. Shaking her head, she chastised herself for not realizing sooner that Lorelai would only ever take it the wrong way. Nothing she did was ever understood by Lorelai. It was always seen as an insult or a slight against her. Never did Lorelai give her the benefit of the doubt or even take the time to listen to her. Why shouldn't she have known that would happen this time, too?

Emily jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder, yet her rapidly beating heart rate quickly began to return to normal as she smelled the familiar fragrance of her husband's cologne. "It will be all right," he spoke quietly.

She only nodded, refusing to turn around and face him. If she did, he might see the tears in her eyes. He already knew they were there but at least this way he didn't see them. Remaining still, Emily waited for Richard to speak again. "I am going to go change," he informed her, kissing the top of her head before she heard him walking away. Finally releasing the breath she had been holding, she reached her hand up to dry her eyes.

* * *

"So," Luke sighed as she pulled back the covers of Lorelai's bed and slid in next to her.

Lorelai looked at him as she tried to smile. "I'm okay, Luke," she reassured him.

"You don't have to pretend with me."

"I know," she spoke silently, looking down at her hands after pulling the sheet up to her waist. "I guess I just want to go to sleep and wake up to find out that this was all just a bad dream. Sookie having to sell her share, my mother buying her share, yelling at my mother … I just want to wake up and find out that it was all a bad dream."

"That isn't going to make it any better, Lorelai. It's not a dream," Luke reasoned with her.

Lorelai sighed heavily, scooting her body down as she flopped back against the mattress. "Let's just go to sleep," she suggested.

Luke turned and reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the TV remote, handing it to her.

"It's okay, Luke, I'm not in the mood to watch TV."

Luke continued to hold out the remote. "_I Love Lucy_ comes on every night at ten o'clock. You aren't going to fall asleep. So, you might as well turn on the TV instead of lying here and wallowing in sadness."

Lorelai took the remote and flicked on the TV, turning it to the correct channel as the opening credits faded into the first scene and she felt a smile almost tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Hey," she pushed herself back up, moving over to kiss Luke goodnight. "Thanks," she smiled genuinely.

Luke grinned at the smile on her face. It was a sad smile, but at least it was a smile.

* * *

Turning away from the window, Emily walked toward the bed, talking off her robe and draping it over an armchair. She climbed into bed, turning off the bedside lamp and snuggling under the covers, still trying to stave off the last of her lingering tears.

A few minutes later, Richard emerged from the bathroom. He studied his wife's silhouette in the darkness. His heart ached for her. He couldn't understand how Lorelai and Emily kept falling into the same vicious pattern. Slowly, he walked to his side of the bed. Emily was trying to hide the fact that she had been crying from him, he knew that for a fact, but he was not going to let her carry this burden alone. Reaching out to touch her, he felt her tense body relax a little. She moved into his arms and buried her face into his neck.

"Oh, Emily," he soothed, as he moved his hand up and down her back.

"I tried not to let it get to me. I really did," she replied, her voice barely audible.

"I know you did, darling, I know you did." His hand cupped her face as he gently kissed her lips.

"I'm sorry that I called you a coward," she admitted.

"I'm sorry that I left you to deal with that all alone," Richard stated sincerely.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight," Emily whispered, running her hands up and down Richard's arm. "I just want you to love me." Looking deeply into his eyes she leaned in and pressed a kiss onto his lips that quickly became passionate. Richard's fingers nimbly began unbuttoning her pajama top. Emily soon forgot about the pain that had been inflicted that night, even if it were just for a fleeting moment.


	6. Cumin and Confrontations

**Chapter 6**

_**Cumin and Confrontations**_

Lorelai strode down the hallway next to the stairs. As she neared the lobby, she heard what sounded like a very unhappy male voice. "We just want to check into our room. Is that asking so much?"

Michel responded abruptly, clearly his patience was being tried. "You are correct. Your room should be ready. It is clearly a half hour past check-in time, but there is nothing I can do to help you. We will have your room ready as soon as possible, I assure you."

Lorelai quickly strode up to the desk. "Hi, I'm Lorelai Gilmore, one of the owners of the Dragonfly Inn. Please accept my apology. I'm very sorry that your room isn't yet ready. Why don't you and your family step into the dining room and have lunch on the house," she nodded at the woman standing behind the tall man at the counter. She had two boys by the hand. One boy looked about seven and the other about four-years old. "Stuart," Lorelai called out as a bellman passed by. He stopped and walked up to the desk. "Would you please escort the…" Lorelai checked the computer screen in front of Michel, "Jamison family into the dining room and make sure they get whatever they'd like for lunch?"

The bellboy nodded and the family of four trudged off after him. As soon as they were out of earshot, Lorelai turned, and though she was clearly irritated by the situation, she made every effort to modulate her voice. "Do you know why the Jamisons' room isn't ready?"

"Well, you know that Heather called in sick this morning," he answered.

"Yeah, but Marie is here and there were only three check-outs this morning. She should have the rooms done by now," Lorelai reasoned.

"Well, only room 6 was finished. Rooms 8 and 11 are still not ready," Michel snapped haughtily.

Lorelai exhaled loudly in frustration. "Let me find Marie and see what's going on." Her heels clicked shrilly against the hard wood floors as she headed for the stairs.

After an exhaustive search of the upstairs rooms, Lorelai headed back down the stairs in search of Marie. Finally she located the maid sitting quietly in a corner of the library playing with Martha. Sarah was asleep in her babyseat on the floor next to them. From the doorway, she quietly called the maid's name.

The young woman looked up and as soon as she saw the look in her employer's eye immediately started to explain. "I didn't know she'd be this long. She just asked me to sit with them for a minute, but it's been almost an hour."

Lorelai took a deep breath and held up her hand. "I'll take care of it." She headed directly for the kitchen.

Sookie's voice was loud and clear as soon as she opened the door. "Cumin! You put cumin in the pork sauce?!"

The tall gaunt man with a pencil thin mustache replied in a French Canadian accent, "Mais non! I did not put cumin in zee pork sauce. You should 'ave your taste buds checked."

"Sookie," Lorelai called, but the other woman was too absorbed in her argument to notice. Lorelai moved closer to the quarreling duo.

"Hey!" Sookie countered, "My taste buds are just fine, Buddy, and I taste cumin."

"Then you must 'ave 'ad cumin for breakfast, because I assure you there iz no cumin in zat sauce!" the indignant chef argued.

Sookie made as though she was going to place her tasting spoon back in the sauce and he reached out and took the spoon from her hand, his eyes wide and his eyebrows sky high. Quickly, one of her loyal kitchen staff placed a clean spoon in her hand which she immediately plunged into the sauce and began to stir. "You used the immersion blender, didn't you!" she accused.

François' silence spoke volumes.

Lorelai saw the opportunity and capitalized on it. "Sookie."

Her partner finally turned in her direction. "Hey, Lorelai."

"Sookie, I have a bit of a problem here," Lorelai began.

"Well, yeah, I know. This guy," she gestured with disdain toward the male chef, "thinks he can get by with an immersion blender when my recipe specifically calls for the sauce to be put into the stand blender and strained before going back into the sauce pot."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's very important, but we have guests that can't check into their rooms," Lorelai's voice was clearly terse.

"That is a problem. What can I do?" Sookie asked innocently.

Lorelai pulled Sookie away from the others a bit and spoke quietly. "Well, for starters, you can go and pick up your kids from my only available maid so she can clean the rooms."

"But we have two maids," Sookie reasoned.

"Yes, we do. Heather is out sick today and regardless Marie has a job. A job we pay her to do. That job is not babysitting," Lorelai countered growing more frustrated.

"Oh shoot," Sookie said.

"Yeah, shoot," Lorelai agreed sarcastically.

Sookie tried defending herself, "I didn't know Heather was out sick, and it's only been a few minutes."

"No, it's been close to an hour," Lorelai countered calmly, an eerily forced smile on her face.

"Really?" Sookie checked her watch with alarm. "I need to go pick Davey up from preschool." She looked back at Lorelai and saw the smile still plastered on her face. Suddenly an image flashed into her mind and she started to giggle.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny?"

"Do you know you look just like your mother when you smile like that?" Sookie replied with more giggles.

"That is not even remotely funny." Lorelai replied, clearly offended.

"Oh, come on, it's a little bit funny," Sookie teased.

Lorelai took a deep breath. "Sookie, I'm glad you want to stay involved and you know I want you here, but next time –"

Sookie interrupted, "I know. Next time I'll get a sitter."

"That would be good." Lorelai gave her a quick hug then began to lead her out of the kitchen.

Just as she was almost out of the door, Sookie turned and glared at François. "I'll be back and next time be sure there's no cumin in that sauce."

* * *

Emily sighed, her utensils poised in her hands, as she listened to the pointless conversation going on around her.

"It was not Sarah Vanderdeeck," Lorelai argued, looking up at her father.

"I specifically remember that her name was Sarah," Richard insisted.

"Yeah, Sarah McMillian," Lorelai nodded.

"No, I remember Sarah McMillian. Horrid girl. She used to run up and down the stairs screaming at the top of her lungs." Richard paused for a moment, remembering the many times the girl had spent the night at their house. Shaking his head, he tried to erase the memories.

"We don't know that many Sarahs. It had to be one of them, Dad. And Sarah Vanderdeeck was a lesbian, so we know it wasn't her," Lorelai insisted, looking pointedly at her father.

Sighing heavily, Emily dropped her hands against the table. "It was Sarah Fuerstein," she corrected them both. "Can we drop this now?" Emily pleaded, looking from her daughter to her husband. She glanced at Luke out of the corner of her eye, noticing that he too was clearly uncomfortable with the subject matter.

"Sarah Fuerstein! That's it!" Lorelai declared as Richard nodded in assent.

"Could we find a new topic?" Emily suggested. "As much as I enjoy this walk down memory lane, I'd prefer that we not discuss which of your high school friends had affairs with their professors at the dinner table."

"Fine," Lorelai huffed. "You pick a subject."

"All right. How is the Inn?" Emily asked, cutting her steak. As soon as the question left her lips, Emily's movements stopped. They hadn't spoken about the Inn since their spat earlier this week. It was as if she could feel the air sucked out of the room.

"I knew that it would all get back to this," Lorelai shook her head, putting down her silverware with a clink.

"Lorelai, I was just simply asking …" Emily defended, trying to defuse the situation.

"No," Lorelai held up her hand. "You want to talk about this? Fine. You want to know how the Inn is doing? Fine. I'll tell you. It's horrible. My partner is pulling out on me yet I can't complain about it because she is my best friend. And how can I be the bad guy and deny her the right to be there for her kids' lives?" Lorelai laughed bitterly at her comment. "Not that either of you would understand that desire, but whatever. Yet it doesn't stop with Sookie pulling out. No. The dream that I have had for most of my life, my entire adult life, is falling apart. My Inn is slowly falling apart. _My_ Inn!The Inn that I have spent years building. Then in two seconds you swoop in and pull the rug out from under me. How do you think that feels, Mom? I have spent years making a life for myself. I've supported myself since I was sixteen. And now at almost forty years old my mother has to jump in and save me from sinking? Without asking if I wanted her help, I might add. So, how do you think the Inn is doing, Mom? What do you really think?" she asked, looking at her mother, her hands extended.

Staring at her daughter for a moment, Emily pushed her chair back and quickly left the room.

Luke kept his head down, starting at his plate, as Emily brushed past him and Lorelai threw her hands up in the air before slamming then down against the table.

"Oh, that's right, Mom," she stated bitterly. "Run away from your problems. That's what we do in this family. We sweep everything under the rug," Lorelai sighed, falling back in her chair.

"That's enough, Lorelai," Richard bellowed, startling his daughter.

"Now you decide to speak, Dad?" she asked incredulously.

"You can say whatever you want about your mother and I in your own home or wherever it is that you choose to lament the horrible life that we gave you. Yet I will not stand for anyone coming into my home and insulting my wife. I don't give a damn how upset you may be right now. You will not come into this house and speak to your mother like that!" Pushing his chair away from the table, he threw his napkin onto his plate and left the room.

Shaking her head, Lorelai looked down at her plate, suddenly feeling a rush of emotions. "That was pretty bad, wasn't it?" she asked, looking up towards Luke.

"You probably went too far," he confirmed in a flat, unattached tone.

"I just … she always does this, Luke. She tries to take over my life and …"

"You were going to ask her for the money if she hadn't already beat you to the punch," he reminded her.

Sinking back into the chair, Lorelai sighed heavily. "I know. Damn it," she huffed. Pushing herself up, she moved around the table.

"Where are you going?" Luke asked.

"To do something that I've despised doing since I was twelve."

"Maybe you should give her time to calm down…" he suggested, looking after her.

"No. I have to fix this now. Damn it," Lorelai sighed, beginning to realize just what she'd done.

"I guess I'll wait here…" Luke replied but she was already gone. Looking down at his half-eaten steak, he picked up his knife and fork.

* * *

Richard quickly followed Emily down the hallway and into the basement. Slightly out of breath when he caught up to her, he found her standing with her back to him.

"Emily," he began.

"Not now…please," Emily stated, sadness exuding from her voice.

"I just wanted to—"

She turned to confront him. "What? Tell me 'I told you so'? Tell me I was a fool to think this would work out? What, Richard? What exactly did you want to do?" When her husband didn't rise to the bait, she turned back to the pool table and picked up the cue ball. She took a deep breath and he watched as her shoulders sagged.

"Can I come in?" Lorelai asked from the top of the stairs, despite the fact that she was technically already inside.

Her mother was across the room, leaning against the pool table as she aimlessly rolled the cue ball back and forth, her father a few feet behind her standing silently. He was the only one of the two who had turned at the sound of her voice.

"Dad, would you mind if I talked to Mom alone for a minute…please?"

Richard hesitated for just a moment before replying. He looked at Emily who slightly nodded. Placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it slightly, he replied, "Fine. But I swear, Lorelai, there had better not be a repeat of what was said upstairs."

"I promise."

"Then I'll leave you two alone." Lorelai and Emily both watched as he quietly walked out of the room.

Emily was silent for a few moments. "Lorelai … not right now, please," Emily pleaded, her back turned to her daughter.

"Mom…" Lorelai began. "I … I …" She stopped her stammering, looking down at her hands. "I'm sorry, all right?" Realizing that it didn't sound quite like a genuine apology, she descended the stairs. "I had no right to say what I did. I just … I don't know," Lorelai sighed. "It's so easy to blame you sometimes. I know it isn't right. And it definitely isn't fair. I've had a bad week. And I took it out on you. And I had no right to do that. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean what I said, Mom."

Emily remained silent, her back still to Lorelai. She held the cue ball tightly in her hand, not letting it go.

"The truth is, Mom, I was going to ask you and Dad for the money to buy Sookie out." She moved slightly closed to her mother, standing just a few feet away.

Emily slowly turned to look at Lorelai. For one of the first times, Lorelai couldn't read her mother's expression at all.

"I've been on my own since I was sixteen. I have always been able to take care of myself. Only one time did I have to ask for help. And that was for Rory. Having to admit that I'm not as independent as I thought is just …" She looked into her mother's eyes, hoping that the woman understood what she was trying to say.

"Lorelai," Emily interjected. "The fact that your father and I own a share of the Inn does not mean you haven't built a successful business and that you haven't done all of it on your own. I didn't buy Sookie's share to butt into your life. I just … I wanted to help my daughter."

"I know, Mom," Lorelai nodded. "And that's why I knew that I could ask you and Dad for help."

"I won't interfere with the Inn, Lorelai," Emily stated, looking at her daughter, her voice eerily calm. "You've come this far on your own."

"Thanks," she smiled, looking down at her shoes. "How is that I'm the one who should be apologizing and yet you are the one making me feel better?" Lorelai asked in a teasing tone.

"Let's just go finish dinner," Emily suggested. "I'm sure Luke and your father are staring at each other uncomfortably," she added, trying to interject some humor and make the situation less tense.

Lorelai nodded, watching as her mother walked past her and to the door.

"Mom…" she called as Emily slowly turned towards her. "I'm sorry."

Emily smiled and continued upstairs, Lorelai following behind her.


	7. Daughters of the American & Other

**Chapter 7**

_**Daughters of the American and Other Revolutions**_

Lorelai stood at the reception desk and looked around at the chaotic scene that was unfolding before her. One minute everything had been perfectly calm and quiet, the next bedlam. First, the phone had begun to ring and as Michel stepped toward the desk to answer it he was cornered by the chef who had just burst out of the kitchen irate.

"My dinner iz ruined! Ruined I tell you!" François shouted.

"So what else is new?" Michel countered snidely.

"Where is that beast of yours?" the chef demanded. "It 'as taken my tenderloin. My perfectly marbled, expertly seasoned tenderloin."

Across the room, the McMahon's had entered the lobby, luggage in hand. The couple had checked in four days ago and had been bickering the entire length of their stay. "You are not going to complain and embarrass me one more time on this trip," Mrs. McMahon hissed at her husband as they approached the desk.

"Me embarrass you? That's a laugh," her husband snapped back.

She reached out and grabbed his arm and he spun to face her. "Keep your voice down."

Lorelai tore her eyes away from the tableau in front of her and looked down at the phone which was ringing off the hook. How had things gotten so out of hand? Realizing that the phone wasn't going to answer itself she sighed and picked it up.

"Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speaking."

"Lorelai, it's your mother."

Great. Exactly what she didn't need at this particular moment. "Hi, Mom. Look, it's crazy around here right now."

"I'm sorry to interrupt what ever vague thing is going on right now but I was calling to see how the plans for the DAR luncheon was going. I would really like everything to go smoothly, especially now that I'm part owner," said Emily.

Trying her hardest to bite her tongue and not saying what she was really thinking for once, Lorelai replied, "Mom, everything is going as scheduled. The menu is planned and the special China you requested has arrived. Nothing to worry about, I promise."

The chaos went on undeterred by Lorelai's phone call.

"There is no way my Paw Paw is responsible for you missing tenderloin. He has a very discerning pallet," Michel argued, "he would certainly not eat that slop that you pass off to the guests as food."

"You are to blame for zis!" François poked Michel's shoulder. "You and zat longhaired coyote."

"You take that back." Michel poked him back delicately but firmly.

"Never!"

"My Paw Paw is a pureblood, which is more than I can say for you," Michel's uttered, his volume and vocal register rising dangerously high. "Where are your papers?"

At that moment, unseen by everyone but Lorelai, Paw Paw scampered through the room with something in his mouth. She couldn't tell what it was, the missing tenderloin, someone's shoe, the dog moved to fast to get a good look. "Mom, really, I need to go."

"Lorelai, what on earth is going on there?" asked Emily.

"Nothing I can't handle," she said, exasperated. Covering the phone, she glared at François and Michel. The chef had the good sense to turn with a huff and stalk back to the kitchen. "Michel, I swear if you do not get that dog out of here I will call INS and get your green card revoked." Turning her attention back to Emily she responded, "Mom, please. I really have to go. Was there anything else?"

"No, that's it," Emily answered.

"Good. I'll see you in a couple of days then."

"Lorelai, are you sure there's nothing going on?" Emily asked unconvinced. "As part owner I have every right to…."

Lorelai cut her off. "You cannot be serious. Do not even try to pull that with me, Mother, especially not today."

Sighing Emily replied, "But..."

"No, Mother. I'm not talking about this right now. We agreed that you would be a silent partner and that's just what you're going to be…silent. Now, I have to go. Goodbye."

Bending over the counter with her head in her hands, Lorelai let out a long breath. She had just hung up on her mother, a dog was loose in the Inn and the chef was on the warpath. Could this day get any worse? Ding! Ding! Ding! Lorelai's head snapped up at the sound of the bell on the counter, the answer to her question staring her in the face.

"Before we check out, we have a few complaints about the maid service." Mr. McMahon pulled a notebook out of his pocket.

"No we don't," his wife contradicted him.

"Yes, we do," he insisted.

"NO… we don't," she replied more forcefully.

Lorelai pasted a smile on her face and made a mental note to have Michel add these people to his book right next to the Bathrobe Bandits.

* * *

Sounds of laughter and light chatter filled the cozy dining room of the Dragonfly Inn but Emily could not concentrate. Something was off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but something was definitely off.

"I just can't believe he left his wife of thirty-five years for that…that…Barbie-wannabe. I swear I haven't seen so much plastic since I had to cover the furniture for the house to be repainted. Emily, do you have any idea how lucky you are?" Sylvia Rosenblatt asked.

Momentarily snapping out of her contemplation of what was wrong, Emily remarked, "Well, yes, Sylvia. I do know. Richard hasn't done so shabbily himself, you know. He loves being married to a cobra. He never knows when I'm going to strike."

Laughter surrounded her but Emily barely noticed. The linens! It was the linens. These were definitely not the linens she and Lorelai had talked about using. With a satisfied smile, she took a sip of her soup. Making a face, she put the spoon back down, hoping that no one had seen her. This definitely was not the same soup she had had at the tasting a few days before. What on earth was going on here? One thing was for certain…as soon as the ladies were gone she was gong to find out.

An hour or so later, the luncheon had come to an end and everything had gone off without a hitch. The ladies didn't seem to notice that the linens were wrong or that the soup had a strange taste, much to Emily's relief.

"Emily, you did a wonderful job," exclaimed Tweenie Halpern. "I think the Inn is even more beautiful now than when we were here the last time. I can definitely see your hand in it. After all, you are part owner now, isn't that correct?"

"Well, yes, technically. But I'm more of a silent partner. This is really all Lorelai's doing," Emily said with just a hint of pride in her voice.

Sylvia walked up at that moment to say her goodbyes. "Well, I am definitely going to tell all my friends about this place and maybe even use it myself sometime. You know, our anniversary is coming up soon. This would be the perfect place for a party," she mused.

"Oh, Sylvia, that would be wonderful!" Emily declared, drawing her hands together, a big smile on her face. "I can't think of a better place for it."

"I just hope that the construction is finished by then," said Sylvia, glancing out the door.

Bristling ever so slightly Emily replied, "I'm sure it will be. It's almost finished. You know how contractors are. Always a day late and a dollar short." Seeing Lorelai standing at the desk, Emily hurried the ladies out the door. "It's been a delight seeing you all but I really need to help Lorelai with a few things now."

"Oh yes, Emily. Don't let us keep you. Thanks again for a wonderful time," Tweenie commented.

"It was my pleasure," beamed Emily. "Goodbye, ladies!"

Turning to Lorelai with a determined look on her face, Emily marched purposefully towards her. "Lorelai Gilmore! You are going to tell me right this minute what is going on here. Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice that the linens were wrong and the soup had some sort of strange taste? That was definitely not the soup I tasted the other day. I demand to know what is going on here!"

At that moment, Michel came rushing out of the kitchen, grabbing Lorelai by the arm. "I need to talk to you…NOW!"

Raising an eyebrow, Emily responded, "What on earth…"

Jerking her arm away from Michel, Lorelai replied, "Mom, just let me handle this, okay? Wait right here." Turning towards Michel, she whispered, "Come with me."

Safely away from Emily's earshot, she turned to Michel and said, "Okay, now what was so important that you nearly twisted my arm off?"

"Francois has quit."

"What do you mean he quit?" Lorelai demanded in shock, her eyes wide.

"How many ways are there to interpret quit? Resigned, gave notice, told us to take this job and shove it. He quit." Michel declared.

"Why?" she questioned.

"He may have gotten the least little bit mad because I happened to suggest that he may not have actually attended the Cordon Bleu as he claims and that the closest he had ever been to Paris was most likely the McDonalds French Fry Academy. I really do not know why he got so upset."

"Well, that's just great Michel," Lorelai huffed. "I'll deal with you later but for right now do not say a word about this to my mother. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Michel sighed petulantly.

Rolling her eyes, Lorelai walked back into the lobby to find Emily still waiting on her, a displeased look spread across her face.

"Well?" Emily demanded.

"Well, what?" Lorelai asked.

"What exactly was that all about?" Emily inquired, her eyebrow raised.

"Oh you know Michel. It's always one drama after another. It's nothing for you to be concerned about at all." Glancing down at her watch, Lorelai said, "Oh, look at the time. Shouldn't you be going?"

Taking the hint, Emily eyed her daughter cautiously. "Yes, I suppose I should." Reaching for her coat from where it rested atop a dining table, she hesitated for just a moment. Taking a deep breath, she turned around, "You know, you can't keep things from me indefinitely, Lorelai. If you would just let me, I could help. I know things must be difficult without Sookie around."

"Mom – ," Lorelai started.

"All right. All right. I really do need to go. I'll talk to you later, Lorelai." Letting out a sigh, Emily put on her coat and walked out the door, leaving Lorelai to ponder her words.

* * *

"What are you looking at?" Luke asked, sliding into a chair at the table in the kitchen, a soda in his hand. Lorelai sat across from him, flipping through a rather thick magazine. He wasn't quite certain but it almost smelled as if there were a scent emanating from the pages.

"It's a bridal magazine. I'm trying to get some inspiration. I still need a dress," she sighed, absently turning a few pages at once.

"I thought you had already found the perfect dress?" Luke asked, confused.

"What?" Lorelai looked up from her magazine and her confused look changed into a frown as she took in his question. "Luke, I cannot wear the dress that I was going to wear when we were supposed to get married before and called off the wedding!"

"Why not?" he asked, popping the lid of his club soda.

"Why not?" she repeated, reaching for her root beer float. "Luke, it's the dress I was supposed to wear when we called off the wedding and then broke up. It has too many bad memories. I can't wear it."

"Well, the wedding is only a couple months away now," he argued, looking across the table at her as she held the pages of the magazine in her hands.

"I know," Lorelai sighed. "I just can't find one that I love. I'm sure the right dress is out there somewhere. I just have to figure out where it is hiding and hope that I can afford it when I do find it."

"Aren't there like stores or something where women go and try on white dresses and squeal loudly?" he questioned, the idea causing a shiver to run down his spine.

"Yeah," Lorelai groaned, "but I don't have anyone to go with me. Rory is out on the campaign trail with Obama and Sookie is too busy with the kids. It would be pathetic to go alone."

"Don't most women usually go with their mothers?"

Lorelai's head shot up and she stared at Luke blankly, unable to determine if he was actually suggesting what she feared he was suggesting or if he had somehow gone temporarily insane.

"What?" he asked, returning her gaze. "Maybe that would make things better between the two of you."

"Have you lost your mind?" Lorelai accused, looking back down at the magazine. "My mother would force me to go to Vera Wang with her and then end up roping me into letting her buy some gown that costs more than my car."

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked innocently, staring at her until she finally broke their gaze.

"What?" she screeched. "Have you totally lost your mind, Luke? What happened to the days when you were afraid of my mother? I liked those days. Now you are sitting through Friday night dinners and actually suggesting that my mother buy me ridiculously expensive gowns? I thought we agreed that this wedding was not going to be over the top. What has come over you?" she asked, eyeing him strangely.

"Lorelai," Luke sighed, trying to choose his words carefully. "I'm not saying that we let her plan the wedding. I'm just trying to say that this is your day. I know I can't give you the world but I don't want you to look back and wish that things had been different. The bride is supposed to go shopping with her mother and find her dream dress. You don't get that now because I canceled our first wedding." He paused for a moment before continuing, "I just don't want you to miss out on your dream because of me. And maybe it wouldn't be so bad if you asked your mother to go with you."

Lorelai laughed, failing to suppress the smile that broke out across her face. "You just defended my mother," she giggled. "Luke Danes wants me to go buy a wedding gown with my mother. I must be in some parallel universe."

Rolling his eyes, he sighed, "I just want this wedding to be perfect for you."

Reaching across the table, Lorelai covered Luke's hand with her own. "I don't need perfect, Luke. I just need you." Smiling, she pushed herself from her chair and bent over the table, crumpling the page of the magazine as she slid her arm behind Luke's neck and pulled his lips toward hers.

* * *

Dinner was quieter than usual at the Gilmore house, which Richard knew from previous experience was not good. It meant one of two things — either Emily and Lorelai had had another fight or Emily had gone plane shopping again. Either way, neither was going to be a pleasant outcome.

Putting down his fork with a sigh, he looked at his wife, deciding to bite the bullet and find out what had happened that day. "So, Dear, how was your DAR luncheon this afternoon?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Since when are you interested in my DAR luncheons?" Emily questioned suspiciously.

"Well, I know it was at the Dragonfly so I was just wondering how it went," Richard stated calmly.

"It was fine," she replied shortly, offering no further information.

"Emily, you've barely said two words since I've been home. Something is bothering you and I want to know what it is. Now," he said with authority.

Sighing in defeat, Emily slumped back in her chair and looked at Richard, silently cursing him for knowing her so well. "Fine, fine. If you must know, things were off. And not just a little off, a lot off. The linens were different, the soup had a strange taste, and of course when I confronted Lorelai about it, she dismissed me like I was a petulant four-year-old," she explained. "I even told her that she didn't have to keep things from me, that I could help her."

"And what was her response to that?" questioned Richard.

"What do you think? Nothing. I left before she could answer me. I don't even know why I try," she said sadly.

Getting up from his chair, he walked the length of the table, coming to a stop behind Emily. He began gently massaging her shoulders with his hands. "Yes, you do know. You try because you want a relationship with our daughter," he reminded her.

Caressing his hands with hers, Emily got up from the table and stepped around her chair to face him. Richard slid his arms behind her back and encircled her. Enjoying the feeling of his strong embrace for a moment, Emily gently pulled away. "I'm not that hungry. I think I'm going to go upstairs, take a long hot bath, and read a while."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about this anymore?" he asked.

"I'm sure," she said, starting to walk away.

Richard watched Emily ascending the stairs, silently wondering if he shouldn't have tried harder to talk her out of buying into the Inn.


	8. No Longer an Outsider

**Chapter 8**

_**No Longer an Outsider**_

Luke came bursting through the front door and stopped just inside the living room, surprised to find Lorelai lounging on the sofa and flipping channels on the television. "What are you doing here?" he asked almost out of breath.

She shot him a quizzical look over the back of the sofa. "Ah… I live here."

"You're not answering your cell phone," he said accusingly.

Lorelai sat up and shrugged. "The battery must be dead. I'll charge it later."

"Why aren't you at the town meeting? Taylor said he left you a message," he explained emphatically.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. "I heard Taylor's voice on the machine and automatically hit delete. Since when are you into town meetings, anyway?"

"I think this one's important. Taylor has some bug up his ass about the Dragonfly. I don't know what it is but you should go and find out."

She sat up and quickly shoved her feet into her boots and zipped them up, "It's probably some stupid permit he's going to accuse me of not getting for the construction. I cannot deal with his petty little power trips tonight, I just can't." She grabbed her purse and coat and stormed out of the house. Luke took a moment to double lock the front door and followed her, almost having to jog to keep up with her long strides.

In the time it took to reach Miss Patty's studio, Lorelai had calmed down somewhat and resigned herself to dealing with whatever stupid thing Taylor was going to bring up. The meeting was already underway when they opened the door and took two open seats on the aisle about four rows from the back.

"Hey sugah," Babette greeted in a loud rasp when Lorelai sat down next to her.

"Hey, Babette, what's up?" Lorelai asked, gesturing to the front of the room where Kirk and Andrew were engaged in a heated debate.

"Yes, you did," Andrew accused angrily.

"No, I didn't," Kirk yelled back.

Babette leaned her head closer to Lorelai's. "Andrew's dog chased Kirk up a tree. Needed twelve stitches and Andrew wants Kirk to pay the vet bill," Babette explained.

"Well, if Andrew's dog was chasing cat Kirk, shouldn't Andrew pay the bill?" Lorelai asked.

"Nah, it wasn't cat Kirk in the tree it was Kirk Kirk. Cat Kirk came flying outta the bushes at that dog like you wouldn't believe. Never seen a cat do that before. Never heard a dog make a noise like that before either, sounded almost like a chicken gettin' is neck rung or somethin'." She visibly shivered as she recalled the earsplitting sound.

"Ewww," Lorelai made a disgusted face.

Most everyone seemed to have tuned out Kirk and Andrew's fight in favor of having their own conversations. Taylor banged his gavel on the podium several times calling out, "Order…order people…quiet!" Once he had the attention of the room, he continued, "Okay, I think we've all heard the pertinent facts here. Everyone who thinks that Kirk should pay the vet bill for Andrew's dog, raise their hand." There wasn't a clear majority so he turned to Patty who was seated next to him "Would you count please?"

Patty stood and counted the raised hands around the room. "Twenty."

"Okay, those who think Andrew should pay the bill," Taylor asked.

Patty again counted. "Twenty-one."

Kirk turned to Andrew, brought both hands up, fingers pointed and taunted, "In your face."

"Sit down, Kirk, or I'll change my vote," Gypsy warned.

Kirk quickly sat down next to Lulu but continued making faces at Andrew. Andrew crossed his arms, walked back to his seat in the second row and sat down with a huff.

In the front, Taylor was banging his gavel again, calling for quiet as Emily slipped into the back of the room and took a seat in the last row.

Taylor looked down at his podium and announced, "The next item on our agenda is the recent incursion of outside interests in the Stars Hollow economy in direct violation of town codes."

"Huh?" Gypsy shot Taylor a confused and irritated look.

"Yeah, Taylor, what are you taking about?" Patty asked.

"I am referring to the recent sale of a significant portion of the Dragonfly Inn to an outside investor," he answered haughtily.

"You have got to be kidding me," Lorelai said loudly from her seat. Sookie shot her a worried look from the other side of the aisle.

"Did you or did you not recently sell a one quarter share in the Dragonfly Inn to an outsider?" Taylor questioned, looking toward Sookie.

Sookie stood up and sputtered, "Well… I guess… technically…"

Lorelai stood too. "What business is it of yours if a portion of the Dragonfly was sold?"

"It is my business, Lorelai; it's all of our business," he gestured broadly. "Stars Hollow Town Code number 701-08 specifically states that purchase of a Stars Hollow business by an outside party must be pre-approved by the Stars Hollow Town Council."

"Come on, Taylor, we're talking about my mother. She's not an outsider, and since when is this even a rule? Plenty of businesses have been owned by people that don't live in Stars Hollow," Lorelai argued.

"Paula Johnson owned half of the Fudge Shop" Kirk offered. "Sure the place was only open two weeks and she gave half the town food poisoning with a tainted batch of peanut butter fudge, but she was from Litchfield."

"Yeah," Babette chimed in, "and Old Jim Foster has owned the Suds 'N Duds for years and he lives in Woodbridge."

"Those businesses were established prior to the inception of this ordinance," Taylor explained matter-of-factly.

"We're talking about twenty-five percent of the business," Lorelai countered. "Seventy-five percent is still owned by Stars Hollow residents," she gestured to Sookie who shook her head in agreement.

"Ah, but the Gilmore family will now own seventy-five percent of the Inn," Taylor countered, "and with you marrying Luke, who owns his diner and the building housing my Soda Shoppe, how do we know that your family isn't trying to gain a choke hold on the Stars Hollow economy?"

"Oh... my… God! No one is trying to gain a choke hold on anything. My mother was just trying to do something nice, and she's agreed to be a silent partner anyway, so what does it matter?"

"Silent partner or not, it has to be approved by the Town Council," Taylor stated tersely.

"Fine," Lorelai agreed. "Everyone's here. Vote now."

"This is highly irregular," Taylor protested, puffing out his chest.

"But, there's nothing to stop us from voting," Patty said looking at the other council members seated on the raised platform, all of whom nodded in agreement.

"Really, this is highly irregular," Taylor repeated.

"All those who approve of Emily Gilmore owning a share of the Dragonfly Inn?" Patty announced. Everyone on the council raised their hands except Taylor. She eyed him sternly as she got to her feet, "Taylor?"

"Oh fine," he huffed with distain and raised his hand.

"Good, it's unanimous," Patty declared, then picked up Taylor's gavel and banged it once on the podium. "Meeting adjourned."

Lorelai turned to Sookie, "What was that about?"

"I have no idea," Sookie replied. "He must have just come up with that town ordinance recently. The Fudge Shop only closed less than a month ago."

Lorelai caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. "No way." She turned to get a closer look.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure – " Sookie answered with a puzzled look.

"No," Lorelai gave a distracted attempt to explain that she wasn't talking about The Fudge Shop before hurrying down the aisle toward the back door and out onto the sidewalk. "Mom," she called out. Emily stopped a few feet away and turned around. Lorelai quickly caught up to her. "What are you doing here?"

"That Taylor person called the house and left a message with the maid," Emily explained. "Poor woman was in such a tizzy when I came home I had to fire her. I never did get the location of this town meeting out of her. I stopped by the diner and the young man that works for Luke was kind enough to direct me."

"So you were in the meeting?" Lorelai asked trying to make sense out of the idea of Emily Gilmore sitting through a town meeting.

"Yes," Emily answered.

"I just… I didn't know you were there," Lorelai stammered. "You didn't say anything."

"Well, you seemed to have things well in hand," Emily replied, "and as you pointed out, I am a silent partner." Her tone was even and calm without accusation or derision.

Luke walked up and stood next to Lorelai holding her jacket, but Lorelai didn't seem to take any notice.

"Hello, Luke," Emily said before turning back to Lorelai. "You should put your coat on, it's cold out here." Lorelai nodded and let Luke help her on with her jacket. A small smile tugged at the corners of Emily's mouth as she watched her daughter. "Good night, Lorelai, Luke."

"Goodnight," Luke replied.

"Um… yeah… night, Mom," Lorelai murmured as she watched her mother climb into her green Jaguar and drive away.

"What was your mother doing here?" Luke asked as they crossed the street, moving onto the sidewalk. He held out his hand and Lorelai took it instinctively, falling into step beside him.

"Apparently Taylor called her," Lorelai commented, looking around as everyone dispersed from the meeting, heading in many different directions.

"That's a scary thought," Luke mumbled.

"What?" she asked, looking down at the sidewalk, many thoughts swirling around in her head. Her mother had been there. How long had she been there? She must have come in after she and Luke had arrived. Otherwise she would have seen her mother there, wouldn't she?

"The idea of your mother and Taylor," he elaborated, jarring Lorelai from her thoughts.

She let out a short laugh. "Taylor may be a certified pain in the ass but he'd never survive my mother."

"I think you're right," Luke agreed with a chuckle.

Lorelai turned her upper body to face Luke as they walked. "I thought you were the newest member of my mother's cheerleading squad. Shouldn't you be defending her honor or something?" she teased.

"Very funny," Luke uttered, sliding his arm around Lorelai's waist as they continued to walk.

* * *

Emily was sitting in bed reading when the phone rang. She glanced at her bedside clock and smiled, exactly ten o'clock. "Hello," she answered warmly.

"Hello," her husband's deep, rich voice greeted her. "You sound like you're in a good mood."

Emily settled down further into her pillows. "I had a very enlightening evening."

"Well, do tell," he replied eagerly.

"I attended a town meeting in Stars Hollow," she answered playfully.

He knew from her voice and teasing tone that whatever had happened had been good for a change. "Is that why you left the message to call at ten? Why did you attend a Stars Hollow town meeting?" he asked, his light tone matching hers.

"Yes. I wasn't sure what time I'd get back and I didn't want to miss your call. When I came home earlier this evening there was a message from that Taylor person that my presence was requested at this evening's town meeting. Not that the man remembered to give the location of the meeting," she said with a light laugh, "anyway, when I arrived they were just getting to the business about the Dragonfly. It seems that there's some recent ordnance or something requiring what he deems 'outsiders' to be approved by the Town Council before purchasing a business in Stars Hollow."

"That can't be legal," Richard reasoned. If it weren't for her cheerful mood, he'd be concerned about what she was saying.

"Well, who knows how that bizarre little town works," she replied. "Lorelai's friends seemed to think it was as absurd as it sounds. They immediately came to her defense, citing other people who owned businesses in town and lived elsewhere."

"Well that's good," Richard chimed in, not wanting to think of his daughter and wife being put on the spot by some small town hack.

"Lorelai handled herself very well," Emily explained with pride. "She called for a vote of the Town Council members who were present and won their unanimous approval."

"And…"

"And what?" she asked.

"Well, I'm sure you're proud of Lorelai, but I'm guessing there is more to your good mood than that. What else happened?"

Emily smiled and shook her head even though he wasn't there to see. "It's silly, really."

Richard remained quiet hoping that she would fill in the silence.

Emily closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. "She defended me. She said that I wasn't an 'outsider' and that I was 'only trying to do something nice.'

"Well, she's right," Richard commented.

Emily looked down and fidgeted with the edge of the sheet where it folded over the top of the comforter on her lap and sighed. "She didn't even know I was there until after the meeting."

"It sounds like things are looking up," he said happily.

"It does, doesn't it?" she agreed. "How did your meetings go today?"

"Very well," he answered. "I should be home in time for dinner tomorrow night."

"Really?" Emily asked eagerly.

"Yes," he chuckled at her response. "The contracts are all signed and I'm booked on a noon flight."

Her hand reached out and absently touched his pillow. "It'll be good to have you home, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

There was a moment of silence, neither wanting to end the call, finally Richard spoke first. "I do have one more report I need to read for my breakfast meeting."

"You should go then," she sighed.

"I should," he replied. "I love you."

"I love you too," she murmured throatily. "See you tomorrow."

"Emily …" he called out, hoping that she hadn't hung up the phone just yet.

"Yes?" came her reply.

"I'm glad that things are turning around for you and Lorelai," he replied, his voice low and soft.

"Me too," she agreed. "Goodnight, Richard." Emily hung up the phone and reopened her book with a smile.


	9. Well If That’s Not a Big Steaming Pile

**Chapter 9**

**Well If That's Not a Big Steaming Pile of Horse …**

Emily burst through the entrance of the Dragonfly Inn, water visibly running rivers off of her onto the rubber mat that had been placed in front of the door. Her shoes were muddy and squishing. She shook as much water as she could off of the Burberry umbrella in her hands, looked at the packed umbrella stand and quickly decided to lean it against the wall next to the door. Next, she brushed off her tan trench coat and pulled the Burberry plaid scarf from her hair. After an attempt to wipe the mud off of her shoes, she followed the trail of newspapers across the floor to the reception desk where Michel was idly flipping though a fashion magazine.

"Are you aware that a lake has formed in front of the Inn?" she asked tersely.

Michel looked up and finally took notice of her arrival. "Ah… Emily… hello! How are you?"

"Caked in mud and dripping wet! How do you think I am? I just had to trudge through the Okefenokee Swamp to get to the front door. Where is Lorelai? Does she know about this?"

"Ah yes, I believe she said there was a slight problem with drainage as a result of the construction," Michel replied with a sneering smile.

"A slight problem? You call Lake Superior out there a slight problem?" Emily gestured broadly and droplets of water flew off the cuffs of her raincoat across Michel's face. Michel pulled two tissues out of the box next to the computer terminal and dabbed at his cheeks fussily. "What are you doing about this?" she demanded.

Lorelai came rushing down the stairs carrying two shredded burgundy silk pillows in her hands. She was in her stocking feet, wearing grey slacks and a dark pink sweater. As she neared the bottom step, her mother's voice carried out from the lobby. Glancing up, she muttered, "Why her? Why me? Why now? Why? Just why?" With a sigh, she shoved the pillows behind her back and cautiously approached the front desk with a smile plastered firmly on her face.

"I had Denny, the bellboy put down the papers. What more would you have me do?" he questioned.

"Well for starters – "

"Mom, so good to see you," Lorelai interrupted trying hard to make her voice sound cheery.

"My shoes are ruined. Just what is going on around here?" Emily demanded.

Lorelai looked down at her mother's wet, muddy, and clearly expensive tan leather shoes. "I'm sorry about the shoes, Mom. If you take them off, I could see if I can get them dried out for you," she offered as she worked her way behind the desk all the time keeping her back and the pillows away from her mother's line of sight.

"What do you expect me to do, walk around barefoot like you are? I'm guessing your shoes met with a similar fate and WHAT are you trying to hide behind your back, Lorelai? Honestly, it's like the time you were six years old and broke your father's favorite antique Limoges Christmas angel."

Lorelai took a deep breath and replied. "It's nothing Mom, it's just some pillows." She took the pillows out from behind her back and quickly shoved them onto the shelf below the desk.

"Those are two of the brand new pillows you just had made," Emily countered.

"It's no big deal, Mom," Lorelai answered calmly.

"They're torn to shreds," Emily protested.

"The Sternhaggens snuck a cat into their room and she refuses to do anything about it," Michel complained to Emily. "That's not all the feral beast ruined. You should see the drapes."

"A cat did that? I knew there was a reason why I never allowed you to have one," Emily replied with a definitive nod of her head. "Can't you bill them for the damage?"

"We'll see, Mom. We can't prove it was them," Lorelai turned and gave Michel a pointed look, "it wasn't their room that was damaged. It was the alcove at the top of the stairs. Why don't you take off those shoes and I'll see what I can do?" Emily stepped out of her shoes as Lorelai rounded the desk and picked them up. "I'm pretty much getting this down to a science," she explained. "First you wipe off the mud, then spot dry with a hairdryer and finish off with a quick buff. They'll be good as new in just a few minutes."

A couple walked down the stairs, the husband carrying two suitcases and a tote bag, the wife following with a makeup case and both their coats and umbrellas. He looked out the window at the front of the lobby. Lorelai stepped away from the front of the desk and drew her mother with her. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Brown, I'll have a bellman take your bags and we have someone waiting out back in a four-wheel drive to take you to your car."

As Mr. Brown proceeded to check out, Mrs. Brown turned to Lorelai. "I wish we didn't have to check out so early." She paused to sneeze.

"Gesundheit," Lorelai offered.

"I can't understand why my allergies have gotten so bad," she sneezed again followed by another "Gesundheit." "Usually, it's only this bad when I'm around cats," she sneezed two more times, prompting yet another polite "Gesundheit" from Lorelai.

Michel handed Mr. Brown his bill and he examined it closely.

"Again, we are sorry about the mix up with room service last night. That has, of course, been taken off of your bill," Lorelai apologized.

Emily watched as Mrs. Brown continued to sneeze and Mr. Brown signed the bill.

Lorelai waved over one of the bellboys. "Denny, would you take the Browns' bags and show them to the back door?" Denny picked up the suitcases and the Brown followed him out of the room, Mrs. Brown sneezing all the way.

"They were supposed to stay all week and they only stayed one night," Michel huffed from behind the counter. "Another thing we can thank the Steinhaggens rabid feline for."

"Michel," Lorelai gave him a stern look and flashed her eyes in her mother's direction.

"What? She has a right to know that we are sinking like the Titanic. She's a part owner of this Inn now," he replied in defiance.

"Sinking like the Titanic? Lorelai, what else aren't you telling me?" Emily asked in alarm.

"Well, for starters, that snooty, fake French chef quit," Michel answered. "Although personally, I say good riddance to him, we do have three parties booked this weekend alone."

"François quit?" Emily asked turning to Lorelai. "He was wonderful. All the women of the DAR loved him."

Michel continued with glee. "Guests are checking out early because of the feline infestation."

"Infestation?" Emily asked in horror.

"One cat which is gone now," Lorelai countered glaring daggers at Michel.

"Also, the entire front garden has to be plowed under to drain Lake Titicaca in the front yard that was created by the fancy new horse barn. Why we need additional space for the worthless smelly farm animals, I do not know."

"That is not true," Lorelai protested "It's a grading problem and it will be taken care of as soon as it stops raining and the ground dries out."

"Lorelai, you have got to admit that you need help." Emily tried her best to sound calmly persuasive.

Lorelai pasted the tense smile back onto her face and modulated her voice. "Mom, remember that we agreed you'd be a silent partner."

"But, Lorelai…"

"Nah…ah…ah…ah…silent," Lorelai said, shaking her head.

"Lor – "

"Ah…" Lorelai held up her free hand.

Emily snapped her jaw shut from where it had been frozen mid-word and cocked her head to the side, silently regarding her daughter for a moment. Then they heard a strange muffled clomping sound. Both women simultaneously turned toward the front door where Cletis stood, mud surrounding all four of his hooves and water dripping everywhere as he shook himself. Slowly mother and daughter turned back to each other.

"It's time for my ten," Michel announced from behind them before retreating hastily down the hallway and away from the scene in the lobby as quickly as possible.

"May I speak now?" Emily asked in a dangerously low voice.

Lorelai nodded and hung her head.

Emily's voice was strangely calm even when she asked, "You still think you don't need any help?"

Loud splatting sounds filled the room followed by a loud whinny. Mother and daughter looked back at the horse who had indeed done what they thought on the floor of the entryway.

"Well, at least there's already paper down," Lorelai offered.

"Lorelai?" Emily's voice was still low and deceptively calm.

"Okay," Lorelai conceded mournfully. "I guess I could use some help, but only temporarily until we get another chef and we get through the parties that are booked for the next week or so."

Emily nodded. "Lorelai… may I have my shoes back?" Lorelai nodded and silently handed her the muddy shoes.

* * *

Arriving home a half hour later, Emily found Richard sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. She walked in, taking her shoes off as she entered, and quietly sat down next to Richard on the sofa, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence.

Putting the newspaper down, he looked at her strangely. "What happened to your shoes?" he asked, looking down at where she held them in her hand sopping wet and stained with some unidentifiable substance.

"Don't ask," she replied flatly. "These were my favorite pair too," she sighed.

"Well, you can always buy another pair, I suppose," he said casually, folding the paper.

"If you knew just how much these shoes cost, you wouldn't say that," she stated playfully. Richard grinned at the smile upon her face.

Sitting in silence for a few minutes, the day's events played in Emily's mind and she could no longer suppress a giggle. Richard looked at her like she had just lost her mind, which of course only made Emily start laughing even harder.

"Are you going to tell me what is so funny?" he asked, surprised by her behavior.

"It's just — I — You —" she tried to speak, unable to get the words out.

"Emily!" Richard exclaimed, starting to laugh himself, without even knowing what he was laughing about.

Trying to regain her composure, Emily finally replied, "The horse. The horse came into the Inn. We were just standing there and in he comes, like he owns the place." She continued to laugh, trying to control herself.

"A horse walked into the Inn," Richard stated in disbelief.

Emily looked at him, nodding her head up and down slowly with a slight grin on her face. "And the best part…he actually…well, let's just say it's a good thing Michel put newspaper down on the floor."

That was all it took. Both Emily and Richard started laughing uncontrollably. Maybe buying into the Inn wasn't such a bad thing after all.


End file.
